Here’s a summary of the Additional Fire Protection Requirements for High Rise and Special Buildings as detailed in Appendix I of the DCPR 2034¹:

These requirements supplement the general fire protection provisions of the National Building Code of India, allowing the Chief Fire Officer (CFO) to insist on suitable additional measures based on occupancy and height².

1. Construction ³

• Building Materials:
  • Load-bearing elements and elements requiring 1-hour or more fire resistance must be of non-combustible material⁴.
  • Interior finish materials (wall paneling, floor coverings) should not have a flame spread ability exceeding Class I, as per IS:1642,1960⁵.
  • Ceiling linings must be non-combustible or plasterboard⁶.
  • Stairways and corridors must not contain combustible materials⁷.
• Structural Members: Supports and load-bearing walls must have a 3-hour fire resistance rating, while transoms and ceilings require at least 2 hours⁸.
• Internal Walls and Partitions: Walls separating corridors from other floor areas need at least 1-hour fire resistance⁹. Openings in such walls are limited to doors or delivery hatches with not less than half-hour fire resistance¹⁰.
• Fire Sections (Fire Walls): Sub-dividing walls to prevent fire spread must have a fire resistance rating of at least 2 hours¹¹.
• Facades: Excluding windows and doors, facades must be made of non-combustible materials¹². A minimum distance of 0.9m is required between the top of an opening on a lower floor and the sill of the opening on the floor above it, to restrict fire travel between stories¹³.

2. Staircase Enclosures ¹⁴

• Construction: Internal enclosing walls of staircases must be of brick or RCC construction with at least 2-hour fire resistance¹⁵.
• Access: All enclosed staircases must be accessed via a ventilated lobby and through self-closing doors with at least half-hour fire resistance, opening in the direction of escape¹⁶. These doors require check section door closers¹⁷.
• Landing: Staircase floor landings must not form part of a common corridor¹⁸.
• Ventilation: Staircase enclosures on external walls must be ventilated at each landing or mid-landing¹⁹. A permanent vent (5% of cross-sectional area) at the top and openable sashes (0.5 sq.m minimum area) at each landing level are required on the external wall²⁰.
• Pressure System: If a staircase is in the core of the building and cannot be naturally ventilated at each landing, a positive pressure of 5mm water gauge must be maintained by an electrically operated blower²¹. This mechanism should operate automatically with fire alarm activation, and manually²².
• Openings: No living space, store, or other fire-risk space should open directly into a staircase²³. External exit doors must open directly to open space or a draft lobby²⁴.
• Signs: Exit signs with arrows indicating escape routes must be provided at 1.5m height on walls, painted with fluorescent paint²⁵.
• Basement Access: A single staircase building’s staircase must terminate at the ground floor, with separate access to the basement²⁶. If multiple staircases, one may lead to the basement via a ventilated lobby or cut-off screen wall, staggered at ground floor level²⁷.

3. Lift Enclosures ²⁸

• Construction: Walls enclosing lift shafts must have at least 2-hour fire resistance²⁹. Shafts need permanent vents at the top (min 1800 sq. mm clear area)³⁰.
• Landing Doors: Landing doors must open into ventilated or pressurized corridors/lobbies and have at least 1-hour fire resistance³¹.
• Lift Banks: No more than four lifts in one bank³². Fire lift shaft must be separated by a 2-hour fire-resisting wall³³. Lift car doors must have 1-hour fire resistance³⁴.
• Pressure System: If lift shaft and lobby are in the building core, a positive pressure (2.5-3mm water gauge in lobby, 5mm in shaft) must be maintained³⁵. This system operates automatically with detectors and alarms, and manually³⁶.
• Smoke Stop Door: Exits from lift lobbies (in core) must be through a self-closing smoke stop door with half-hour fire resistance³⁷.
• Lift Machine Room: Must be separate, with no other machinery³⁸.
• Basement Communication: Lifts normally don’t communicate with basements³⁹. One lift may, provided the basement lobby is pressurized and separated by a 2-hour fire-resisting, smoke-actuated door⁴⁰.

4. External Windows ⁴¹

• Area of openable external windows on a floor must be at least 2.5% of the floor area⁴². Locks must be budget-lock type (openable with a fireman’s axe)⁴³.

5. Fire Lifts ⁴⁴

• One or more lifts must be designed for exclusive use of fire services during emergencies, directly accessible to every floor⁴⁵.
• Specifications: Min 1.4 sq.m floor area, min 1.12m dimension, 545 kg (8 persons) capacity, automatic closing doors⁴⁶.
• Alternate Supply: Must have alternate electric supply from a generator, with cables in a fire-safe route⁴⁷.
• Operation: Simple toggle or two-button switch at entrance level makes landing call-points inoperative; lift operates on car control only⁴⁸.
• Signage: “FIRE LIFT” displayed conspicuously in fluorescent paint on landing doors⁴⁹.
• Doors: Solid doors with at least 1-hour fire resistance; collapsible gates not permitted⁵⁰.
• Speed: Must reach top floor from ground in one minute⁵¹.

6. Basements ⁵²

• Ventilation: Each basement must be separately ventilated, with vents (aggregate 2.5% of floor area) or a system of air inlets at floor level and smoke outlets at ceiling level⁵³. Mechanical extractors for smoke venting are required for lower basement levels⁵⁴.
• Staircases: Basement staircases must be enclosed (at least 2-hour fire resistance), situated at the periphery, entered from open air at ground level, and communicate via a lobby with 1-hour fire-resisting self-closing doors⁵⁵.
• Kitchens: Kitchens using gas fuel are not permitted in basements⁵⁶.

7. Floor Space Division (Fire Sections) ⁵⁷

• Floor space division on floors and in basements must comply with NBC provisions⁵⁸.

8. Service Ducts ⁵⁹

• Enclosed by walls with at least 2-hour fire resistance; inspection/access doors also 2-hour fire resistance⁶⁰.
• If cross-sectional area > 1 sq.m, sealed where it passes a floor with non-combustible material⁶¹.
• Permanent vent at top of service shaft (min 460 sq.cm or 6.25 sq.cm for each 900 sq.cm of shaft area)⁶².

9. Refuse Chutes and Refuse Chambers ⁶³

• Hoppers under chutes in well-ventilated positions, chutes extending above roof with 2-hour non-combustible enclosure⁶⁴.
• Inspection panels and hopper openings with 1-hour fire-resisting metal doors/covers⁶⁵.
• Refuse chutes not in staircase walls or AC shafts⁶⁶.
• Refuse chambers with 2-hour fire-resisting, non-combustible, impervious walls/floors/roofs, located safely from exits⁶⁷.

10. Building Services ⁶⁸

• Electrical Services: Cables in separate sealed ducts, separate circuits for essential services (pumps, lifts, lighting, pressurizing fans), fire-rated inspection panel doors, metal conduits for wiring in shafts/false ceilings⁶⁹.
• Town Gas/L.P. Gas Supply Pipes: Run in exclusive shafts on external walls, away from staircases, with no inter-connection to floors⁷⁰.
• Staircase and Corridor Lightings: Separate circuits, independently connected, operable from ground floor, connected to alternate supply⁷¹. Emergency lights required⁷².
• Alternate Source of Electric Supply: Stand-by electric generator for essential services (lighting, fire lifts, fire pump, pressurization fans, smoke extraction/damper systems) in case of normal supply failure⁷³.
• Transformer: If in basement, in first basement in a separate 4-hour fire-resisting room at periphery, protected by CO2 or BCF system⁷⁴. Direct access from outside preferred⁷⁵. If at ground floor, cut-off by 4-hour fire-resisting walls⁷⁶. Not on upper floors except stilt/podium (if dry type)⁷⁷.
• Air-conditioning: Escape routes not to be used as return air passages⁷⁸. Ducting of substantial gauge metal, sealed where passing through fire-walls/floors⁷⁹. Metallic ducts preferred for return air⁸⁰. Non-combustible insulation⁸¹. Fire dampers where ducts pass through fire walls, and at air handling unit inlets⁸². Air handling units preferably separate for each floor⁸³. Non-combustible air filters⁸⁴.
• Boiler Room: Must conform to Indian Boilers Act⁸⁵. Not in lower basement⁸⁶. In 4-hour fire-resisting room at periphery, away from escape routes⁸⁷. Foam inlets on external walls for fire services⁸⁸.

11. Provision of First Aid and Fire-fighting Appliances ⁸⁹

• First-aid firefighting equipment on all floors (including basements, lift rooms) as per IS: 2217-1963⁹⁰.
• Appliances distributed as per IS: 2190-1971⁹¹.

12. Fixed Fire-Fighting Installations ⁹²

• Wet riser, wet riser-cum-down comer, automatic sprinkler, high-pressure water spray, or foam generating system⁹³.
• Wet Riser/Riser-cum-Down Comers: Capacity of water storage tanks and fire pumps as specified in Table (e.g., 50,000 to 3,00,000 litres underground static tank, 20,000 to 50,000 litres terrace tank depending on building height/type)⁹⁴. Exclusive for firefighting⁹⁵.
• Static Water Storage Tank: Underground static tank (capacity specified for building) with replenishment arrangements⁹⁶. Must be accessible to fire engines⁹⁷.
• Automatic Sprinklers: Installed as per NBC⁹⁸.
• High Pressure Water Spray (emulsifying): For indoor transformers in basement⁹⁹.
• Foam Generating System: For boiler rooms with furnace oil storage¹⁰⁰.
• Carbon-dioxide (Co2) Fire Extinguishing System: For premises where water/foam cannot be used¹⁰¹.

13. Fire Alarm System ¹⁰²

• Manually-Operated Electrical Fire Alarm System: For special buildings >15m height and Business/Industrial buildings >32m height¹⁰³. Call boxes on each floor (accessible within 30m travel distance)¹⁰⁴.
• Automatic Fire Alarm System: For all other buildings >32m height (in addition to manual system)¹⁰⁵. Detectors conform to IS Specification¹⁰⁶.

14. Lightning Protection of Buildings ¹⁰⁷

• Lightning protection systems must conform to Part III, National Building Code of India¹⁰⁸.

15. Control Room ¹⁰⁹

• For buildings mentioned in fire alarm section (except residential), a control room on the entrance floor with communication system to all floors, firefighting equipment details, and indicator boards¹¹⁰. Manned 24/7¹¹¹.

16. Fire Drills and Fire Orders ¹¹²

• Fire notices/orders must be prepared and displayed, and occupants familiarized with emergency actions¹¹³.

17. Location of Refuge Area ¹¹⁴

• Location: Preferably within building line at floor level, facing access road/wider open space¹¹⁵. Cantilevered refuge area permissible at staircase mid-landing only¹¹⁶. All other refuge areas within building line¹¹⁷.
• Frequency: First refuge area at 24m or 1st habitable floor (whichever is higher) for buildings >32m height. Thereafter, at every 7th habitable floor¹¹⁸.
• Size: 4% of habitable floor area it serves, free of FSI. Can be up to 4.25% with Commissioner’s permission¹¹⁹.
• Alternate (up to 70m height): RCC cantilever projections at alternate mid-landing levels of staircase (min 3.0m width, min 10.0 sq.m residential / 15 sq.m non-residential) free of FSI¹²⁰.
• Up to 32m height: Terrace floor treated as refuge area¹²¹.
• Use: Exclusively for temporary shelter for occupants and use by Fire Brigade¹²². Must be maintained clean and free of encumbrances¹²³.
• Facilities: Adequate emergency lighting, toilet, drinking water¹²⁴.

18. Glass Façade ¹²⁵

• All buildings with glass façade must comply with fire safety requirements as per Model Building Bye Laws/NBC¹²⁶.