Bygningsreglementets vejledning til kapitel 5 - Brand: Definitionsliste for brandmæssige begreber – Danish Fire Safety Terminology
The Bygningsreglementets vejledning til kapitel 5 - Brand: Definitionsliste for brandmæssige begreber is an official administrative guidance document issued by Social- og Boligstyrelsen in Denmark. This document, identified as Version 1.0 and effective from January 1, 2024, provides the authoritative definitions for terms and expressions related to fire safety as used within the Danish Building Regulations 2018, known as BR18. It serves as a regulatory reference for architects, engineers, and fire safety professionals working with the fire protection of buildings covered by national statutes.
The scope of the document encompasses the technical, administrative, and structural terminology required for compliance with BR18 fire safety provisions. It defines complex fire protection systems such as ABA-anlæg (Automatic Fire Alarm), ABDL-anlæg (Automatic Fire Door Closing), and AVS-anlæg (Automatic Water Sprinkler), alongside fundamental safety concepts like Acceptkriterie (Acceptance Criteria), Brandbelastning (Fire Loading), and Anvendelseskategori (Use Categories). The document specifically notes that terms marked with an asterisk may have different meanings in other chapters of the building regulations outside the fire safety context.
This guidance ensures consistency across fire safety documentation, including Brandstrategirapporter (Fire Strategy Reports) and technical designs. It provides the legal and technical basis for categorizing buildings by risk and fire class, ensuring that all stakeholders use a unified vocabulary for regulatory submissions and inspections.
Fire Protection Installations and Systems
The document defines the primary active fire safety systems and their components used to detect, control, or extinguish fires in Danish construction.
- ABA-anlæg (Automatic Fire Alarm System): A system containing a central panel and detectors (smoke, heat, or flame) that automatically alerts the rescue services and manages connected fire protection installations.
- ABDL-anlæg (Automatic Fire Door Closing): Installations designed to hold self-closing fire doors, gates, or shutters in an open position and ensure their automatic closure upon fire detection.
- ABV-anlæg (Automatic Fire Ventilation): Systems intended to remove smoke and heat from rooms or building sections, activated automatically during a fire.
- AVS-anlæg (Automatic Water Sprinkler): Installations that control, suppress, or extinguish fires using water, consisting of a water supply, alarm valves, and a pipe system with sprinklers.
Fire Loading and Calculation Thresholds
Fire load is defined as the total energy released (measured in MJ/m² of floor area) by the complete combustion of all flammable materials. It is categorized into three types: Variabel brandbelastning (inventory and storage), Permanent brandbelastning (structural elements and finishes), and Samlet brandbelastning (the sum of both).
- Ultra lav brandbelastning: Maximum 50 MJ/m².
- Meget lav brandbelastning: From 50 MJ/m² to 250 MJ/m².
- Lav brandbelastning: From 250 MJ/m² to 800 MJ/m².
- Stor brandbelastning: From 800 MJ/m² up to 1,600 MJ/m².
- Meget stor brandbelastning: Greater than 1,600 MJ/m².
Building Classification and Risk Profiles
Compliance strategies are dictated by the classification of buildings into categories based on use and risk factors.
- Anvendelseskategori (Use Category): Categories 1 through 6, determined by the building's primary use, the presence of sleeping accommodations, the occupants' familiarity with escape routes, and their ability to self-rescue.
- Risikoklasse (Risk Class): Classes 1 through 4, assigned based on use category, building complexity, and risks related to evacuation and rescue operations.
- Brandklasse (Fire Class): Classes 1 through 4, determined by the risk class and the chosen method for documenting fire safety.
Escape Routes and Structural Compartmentation
Structural fire safety relies on defined units and designated paths for safe egress and rescue access.
- Brandcelle (Fire Cell): One or more rooms from which a fire cannot spread to other cells within the time required for evacuation and rescue operations.
- Brandsektion (Fire Section): A fire-separated building or restricted area designed with fire separations to prevent spread between rooms or structures.
- Flugtvejssystem (Escape Route System): A cohesive system of exits, escape corridors, and stairs designed to ensure occupants can evacuate a building safely.
- Sikkerhedstrappe (Security Staircase): An escape route staircase designed with high smoke resistance, often utilizing ATA-anlæg (Automatic Pressurization) or access via airlocks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an ABA-central in the context of BR18?
An ABA-central is the control panel for a building's automatic fire alarm system. It is operated by rescue services and contains orientation plans; it also serves as the alarm transmission unit even if a full ABA system is not present, such as in buildings only equipped with sprinklers.
How is the term 'Bygningsafsnit' defined?
A Bygningsafsnit is a building or part of a building where fire risk conditions (use category and risk class) are comparable. It must be assigned to one or more use categories but only one risk class.
What is the difference between an internal and external escape route?
A Primær flugtvej is the route people intuitively seek during evacuation, typically the normal access path. A Sekundær flugtvej is an escape route not typically used during normal building operations.
What defines a 'Certificeret brandrådgiver'?
A Certificeret brandrådgiver is a consultant certified to document and control fire safety requirements for buildings in fire classes 2-4 according to the Danish certification scheme.
What are the specific requirements for a 'Salgsbod'?
A Salgsbod is a stall or tent of maximum 100 m² used by up to 50 people for trade or food preparation, where the person count includes both customers and staff.
What does 'Tryksætningsanlæg' (ATA) refer to?
An ATA-anlæg is a fire safety installation that creates overpressure or underpressure in specific areas, such as stairwells, to keep them smoke-free for evacuation and rescue service access.
