Ahmet Evci graduated from Yildiz Technical University in Istanbul in 2002. He obtained his Msc Degree from the Akdeniz University in 2011. In 2017, he established the innovative ltd company for autoclaved aerated concrete works. Currently, the company continues its domestic and international works on autoclaved aerated concrete.

Fire aftermath in industrial facilities

Industrial facilities, such as manufacturing buildings, warehouses and data centres are faced with certain risks as in all other businesses and residences. These risks include financial, political, operational or hazardous risks, as well as natural disasters. Studies reveal that the most affecting and damaging risk for the industrial facilities is the risk of fire. Fires are one of the most dangerous problems observed during manufacturing in industrial facilities. Unfortunately, many facilities are exposed to fire for various reasons during their daily operations [1].

According to the survey conducted by Chemical Engineers Division of the Turkish Engineer and Architect Chambers Union, a total number of 541 industrial fires and explosions took place in Turkey in 2019. 502 of these incidents were industrial fires and 39 were industrial explosions. At least 30 workers died, and 134 workers were injured in these fires and explosions. Hundreds of people were troubled by the suffocating and toxic gases that emerged after the fires [2].

The annual number of such cases in Turkey for the last 3 years is shown in Figure 1. The breakdown of people affected by the fire (dead and injured) are shown in Figure 2.

As seen in Figure 2, when the industrial fires and explosions in 2019 are compared with the previous years, there is a decrease in the number of injured workers, but the total death toll shows the severity of the fires and explosions.

Fires have great material and non-material effects, causing consequences that will last for a long time. At this point, the usage of correct construction materials that can prevent fires and minimize damages in buildings becomes very important. Between 2005 and 2011, investigations in factory workshops after fires show that fires occur in reinforced concrete buildings the most [3] (Figure 3).

The preference of using fire-resistant materials during the construction phase of industrial buildings reduces the damage to these facilities, allowing evacuation and preventing losses of life. It is a fact that if the components of the structural system in industrial facilities are fire-resistant, this reduces the damage significantly and prevents the building from a serious damage. The damage occurred as a result of fire in two different facilities with different construction materials can be seen on Figure 4 and Figure 5. Petroleum products that are not resistant to fire were preferred on the roof and walls of the building that can be seen on Figure 5, and the building became completely unusable after the fire. However, there was no damage in the adjacent facility which was built with reinforced AAC panels on the walls after the fire as seen on Figure 6 [4].

In recent years, improving constructions and inspection systems have become a hot topic and much effort has been put into the subject. Studies are still underway on simple and robust construction systems where quality control and inspection can be easily done. Autoclaved aerated concrete panels can act as a serious problem solver addressing this issue. The AAC industry in Turkey is highly developed and the production volume of Turkish blocks and reinforced panels used as a part of a AAC building solution has reached its highest levels around the world in the recent years.

Since AAC blocks and panels are manufactured in a factory environment, appropriate quality control can be easily achieved during the production process. Practical construction techniques that allow effective quality control and inspection on site when using these quality-controlled construction materials/components can result in safer construction [5]. AAC roof panel systems has emerged as one of the potential sustainable, fast and fire resistant system alternatives, especially among the large span of roof solutions. AAC roof panels provide a superiority to the building in terms of heat, insulation, comfort and safety in long term, compared to other traditional roofing materials. In addition, the fact that these systems are suitable for rapid construction, this technique shortens the construction process and provides the opportunity to do more work in much of a shorter time.

Controlling the fire before it spreads is an important measure to reduce the damage. It is known that the fire spreads to other parts of the building and surrounding buildings, especially from the roof constructions. For this reason, it is clear that roofs should be formed from fire-proof building materials. AAC materials meet the building criteria stipulated by the regulations in factories and adjacent structures. These systems, which protect their carrier, integrity and heat insulation during a fire, prevent the rapid spread of fire and smoke. The usage of AAC roof panels limits, slows the spread of fire and saves time for rescue operation.

A case study: KIPAS Textile Factory in Maraş

The factories in Turkey can be classified into two groups based on the preferred construction framework. The first is the reinforced concrete prefabricated framework systems and the second is the steel framework systems. In buildings with a steel structure, if no additional precautions are taken against fire, the system collapse because steel is deformed after 350ºC. In reinforced concrete systems, if the roof and wall materials are resistant to fire, the complete building system can easily survive the fire.

However, if non-fire-resistant products are used on the roof and walls of reinforced concrete systems (especially sandwich panels filled with petroleum-derived insulation material), the reinforced concrete structure system gets damaged and collapses due to the high temperature that increases even more with the burning of the coating material during the fire. Although sandwich panels, which are frequently used in both systems, offer an economical solution, they are quite difficult to extinguish during a fire. As a result, fire resistant AAC roof panels are increasingly applied as a part of an alternative roofing solution in Turkey.

Kipaş textile factory, located in Dulkadiroglu district of Maraş city center, has a total closed roof area of 25.000 sqm (Figure 7). The factory is located in an area where textile factories are densely located, therefore the risk of fire is significantly high. Unfortunately, statistical data show that 25% of industrial facilities fires in Turkey occurs in textile factories.

This situation once again emphasizes the importance of building materials that are suitable with the fire regulations. By choosing A1 class non-combustible materials, the possible fire risks can be minimized.

To fully comply with the above-mentioned purposes, 10 cm thick and 300 kg/sqm density AAC roof panels were preferred as the roofing material in the Kipaş textile factory. The complete range of AAC roof panels were produced by KÇS Kipaş AAC, one of the leading AAC producers in Turkey for this project. The application details of the panels and the overview of the facility are shown in the photographs.

References

[1] Usta P., Evci A., (2019).  Using Reinforced AAC Panels to Against Earthquake Loads, International Symposium on Innovations in Civil Engineering and Technology, 435-445, 23-25 October

[2] Usta P. And Zengin B., (2021), Investıgatıon of Fire Effect of Reinforced Aerated Wall (Acc) System Produced By Usıng Sustaınable Constructıon Materıal, Wmcaus 2021 14-18 June, 2021 – Prague (Czech Republic)

[3] Şimşek, H., and Aydoğdu, M. (2020), The Effects of Fire Systems on Occupational Health and Safety in Industrial Works. İSG Akademic, 2(1), 35-45.

[4] Chemical Engineers Division of the Turkish Engineer and Architect Chambers Union(2019), Industrial Fires and Explosions 2019 Report, (27.11.2020),http://www.kmo.org.tr/genel/bizden_detay.php?kod=5046&tipi=0&sube=0

[5] Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB-IMM) Fire Department (2020), Statistics, Istanbul Fire Department, http://itfaiye.ibb.gov.tr/img/_14238422020_.pdf, [3.10.2020].