Fire Requirements for High-Rise Buildings in Turkey

Fire strategy changes fundamentally in a high-rise because two assumptions collapse: that the whole building can be emptied quickly, and that the fire service can intervene from outside. In their place come defend-in-place and internal attack.

Classification

BYKHY defines a high-rise as a building with a building height above 21.50 m, a structure height above 30.50 m (Article 4/ccc lists the two measures separated by a comma, with no conjunction). Because the classification determines which provisions apply, how levels and heights are measured must be settled at the very start of the project; for a building near the threshold that single decision changes the whole design.

Provisions BYKHY attaches to high-rise buildings

Below are the provisions the regulation ties directly to "high-rise buildings", followed by provisions often associated with high-rises that in fact carry their own threshold. The thresholds in the second group differ from the high-rise definition (21.50 m / 30.50 m).

Article	Provision
4/ccc	High-rise building: building height above 21.50 m, structure height above 30.50 m.
24/4	In non-residential buildings with a building height above 21.50 m and residential buildings with a building height above 30.50 m, the floors above those heights form fire compartments of at most three storeys.
25/3	Walls of vertical service shafts and flues at least 120 min fire resistant, their hatches at least 90 min, and smoke-tight.
26/2	Floor finishes at least low flammability (zor alevlenici).
28/3	The slab carrying the roof acts as a horizontal fire barrier; roof structure and roof covering of non-combustible material.
29/3	Internal wall linings and internal thermal and acoustic insulation at least low flammability.
29/4	Service pipes larger than 70 mm (except branches through wet rooms) at least low flammability; fire stops at floor penetrations where normal-flammability soil pipes are used.
33/2	Escape routes and stairs at least 120 cm wide.
62/5	In high-rise buildings and buildings open to the public, lifts return to the exit floor on a fire signal without opening their doors on the way, wait with doors open, and do not accept landing or corridor calls.
72/2-f	Emergency lighting required.
75/2-c	Manual call points mandatory in all high-rise buildings, residential included (110–130 cm above floor, horizontal reach at most 60 m).
94/1-a-1	Fire brigade outlet connections on the fixed pipework, located in protected spaces such as the escape stair or fire lobby.
94/1-b-1	Fire hose cabinets mandatory.
97	A fire brigade inlet of at least 100 mm to the water-based systems, with two 65 mm storz couplings and a check valve; fire appliance access distance to the inlet at most 18 m.
63/2	Own threshold: an emergency (firefighting) lift is required where the structure height exceeds 51.50 m.
96/2-a, 96/2-b	Own threshold: automatic sprinklers mandatory in all non-residential buildings with a structure height above 30.50 m and in residential buildings with a structure height above 51.50 m.
89/1, 89/3	Own threshold: escape stair pressurisation where the stair enclosure is higher than 30.50 m (non-residential), and in residential buildings with a structure height above 51.50 m.

Being a high-rise does not, on its own, trigger sprinklers. Article 96/2 is triggered by structure height: a residential high-rise whose structure height does not exceed 51.50 m has no sprinkler obligation under 96/2-b. The other items of 96/2 (for example an enclosed car park over 600 m², 96/2-c) are checked separately. Sprinkler design itself follows TS EN 12845 under Article 96/5.

Six headings that change in the design

Some of the headings below are regulatory requirements and some are good practice; each heading says which.

1. Escape strategy

International good practice often prefers phased evacuation to total evacuation in high-rises: the fire floor and adjacent floors are cleared first. That requires the voice alarm system to be manageable zone by zone. Phased evacuation is not a requirement BYKHY defines for high-rise buildings. The regulation's high-rise-specific escape provision is a minimum escape route and stair width of 120 cm (Article 33/2).

2. Protected stairs and pressurisation

The stair enclosure must stay clear of smoke. The pressurisation system has to satisfy different operating points with doors open and closed, so the design follows door-opening scenarios and door opening force is measured at commissioning. The BYKHY values: a pressure difference of at least 50 Pa with all doors closed and at least 15 Pa with a door open (Article 89/5); a door opening force of at most 110 N at the handle (89/7); an average air velocity of at least 1 m/s through an open door (89/8). The thresholds that trigger pressurisation are in the table above (89/1, 89/3).

3. Emergency (firefighting) lift and firefighting access

In BYKHY the emergency lift is tied to structure height, not to the high-rise threshold: where the structure height exceeds 51.50 m, at least one lift must be arranged as an emergency lift (Article 63/2). It is fronted on every floor by a fire lobby of not less than 6 m² and not more than 10 m², with no dimension under 2 m (63/3); the car is at least 1.8 m², reaches the top floor from the ground floor in 1 minute and is connected to an emergency generator that keeps it running for 60 minutes (63/4); its wiring and cables are at least 60 min fire resistant (63/5); and its shaft is pressurised (63/6, 89/4). In high-rises whose structure height does not exceed 51.50 m an emergency lift is not a regulatory requirement, although their lifts must still return to the exit floor on a fire signal (62/5). Firefighting is carried out through fire brigade outlets in protected spaces (94/1-a-1) and the fire brigade inlet (97).

4. Fire control centre

The alarm panel, smoke control commands, pump status, lift positions and the public address system are monitored from one point. This is the first place the fire service goes on entering the building; its accessibility and protection are part of the design. A fire control centre is not a requirement BYKHY defines for high-rise buildings; it is recommended as good practice.

5. Pressure zones

The sprinkler installation is divided into vertical zones so the pressure rating of pipe and components is not exceeded. Each zone has its own control valve, flow switch and test-and-drain arrangement; where the main supply pipe serves more than one fire zone, a flow switch, a test and drain valve and a monitored isolating valve on each zone or riser are also required by Article 96/7. Where pressure reducing valves are used, the topmost sprinkler receiving its required pressure and the lowest not exceeding its limit must be achieved at the same time; a pressure gauge is fitted upstream and downstream of each pressure reducing valve (96/10).

6. Water supply redundancy

The redundancy rule in BYKHY is not specific to high-rises; it applies to every system: where one pump is used, a standby pump of the same capacity is required; where there are several pumps, at least 50% of the total capacity is backed up (Article 93/2). Where no standby diesel pump is used, the pumps' power supply comes from a reliable source independent of the building's general electrical system (93/4). Intermediate tanks and a second supply line are not requirements BYKHY defines for high-rise buildings; they are good practice assessed against height and pressure zoning. The additional reliability measures in EN 12845 and the standby pump provisions in NFPA 20 are the texts to consult.

Critical commissioning tests

1. A flow test from the most remote sprinkler point in every pressure zone.
2. Door force and air velocity measurement on the pressurisation system.
3. The standby pump start scenario.
4. Where phased evacuation is adopted, testing the scenario together with the public address system.
5. Where an emergency lift is provided (structure height above 51.50 m), its operation on generator supply.
6. Where a fire control centre is provided, verification that every system can be monitored from it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is a high-rise defined?

BYKHY defines it as a building with a building height above 21.50 m, a structure height above 30.50 m (Article 4/ccc lists the two measures separated by a comma, with no conjunction). For buildings near the threshold, the measurement method affects the whole design.

What sets the pressure zones?

The pressure rating of pipe and components — but a zone boundary is also a maintenance and isolation boundary. If maintaining one zone shuts half the building, the zoning is wrong.

What is the evacuation strategy in a high-rise?

BYKHY does not prescribe an evacuation strategy such as phased evacuation for high-rises; its concrete provisions are a minimum escape route and stair width of 120 cm (Article 33/2) and mandatory manual call points in all high-rises, residential included (Article 75/2-c). If phased evacuation is chosen as good practice, the voice alarm must be controllable zone by zone.

What redundancy is expected in the water supply?

The BYKHY rule applies to every system: with one pump, a standby pump of the same capacity; with several pumps, at least 50% of the total capacity backed up (Article 93/2). Intermediate tanks and a second supply line are good practice, not requirements the regulation defines for high-rises.

Is a firefighting lift mandatory in every high-rise?

No. Under Article 63/2 an emergency lift is required where the structure height exceeds 51.50 m, with at least one lift arranged as an emergency lift. Lower high-rises need no emergency lift, but the Article 62/5 provisions, such as lifts returning to the exit floor on a fire signal, apply.

Does being a high-rise trigger sprinklers?

Not on its own. Article 96/2-a makes sprinklers mandatory in all non-residential buildings with a structure height above 30.50 m, and 96/2-b in residential buildings with a structure height above 51.50 m. The other items, such as car parks, sleeping accommodation and multi-storey shops, are checked separately.

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