The number of charging points in car parks is growing fast, driven by the rise of electric cars and the requirements for charging infrastructure in new construction and renovation. For structural fire safety this is not just an installation issue: a charging project brings new cable trays and more power, and where cables pass through existing fire separations, new penetrations too.
Why EV charging touches the fire safety discussion
A parking garage is already a building with a high fire load and, in an enclosed or underground garage, a defensive firefighting approach to a vehicle fire. Structural fire safety - compartmentalization, structural protection, seals - therefore carries extra weight. Charging infrastructure adds two risks: more cables and conduits breaking through fire separations, and concentrated power that can itself become an ignition source in the event of a fault or short circuit.
What specifically changes about compartmentalization?
- More penetrations. New charging groups need cable trays that sometimes run through the separation between the parking level and adjacent functions (storage rooms, stairwell, plant rooms). Where that is the case, every penetration must be sealed with a system that is demonstrably suitable for that application.
- Higher power per group. With fast charging or large numbers of charging points per group, cable thickness increases and with it the size of the opening - this often requires a different sealing system than the original, smaller penetration.
- New technical rooms. Charging infrastructure sometimes comes with its own distribution board or transformer room, with its own compartmentalization and structural requirements.
Structural protection remains the foundation
Apart from the charging infrastructure itself, protecting the load-bearing steel and concrete structure remains the core of fire safety in a parking garage: in a prolonged vehicle fire, the structure must remain standing long enough for a safe response. Fire-resistant steel cladding on beams and columns, and intact compartmentalization to adjacent functions, do not change because of the arrival of charging points - but every change to the installation is a moment to check whether the existing separations are still intact.
What the Bbl requires
The Bbl (Dutch Buildings Decree) contains specific rules for charging points for electric vehicles in car parks. They are aimed at the owner of the building to which the parking spaces belong. The essentials:
- Controlled charging. A charging point complies with mode 3 or mode 4 under NEN 1010.
- Simultaneous switch-off. The car park has a facility that switches off all charging points at once, for example a manual emergency stop. That way the fire service knows for certain that there is no more voltage.
- Information at the entrance. At the entrance to the car park there is information about that facility and the location of the charging points.
Which rules apply depends on the situation:
| Situation | What applies |
|---|---|
| New car park | The rules apply to the charging points in the car park. |
| New charging points in an existing car park | Installing them counts as renovation. The rules then apply to the new charging points, even if they are not mandatory. |
| Existing charging points | The renovation rules do not apply to existing charging points that the renovation does not concern. |
The Informatiepunt Leefomgeving (the Dutch government's information point for the Environment and Planning Act) explains this for new construction and for renovation.
The requirements for compartmentation and the structure and the duties of care also continue to apply (see our article on the fire safety duty of care). The charging point rules say nothing about sealing penetrations, and that is exactly where things most often go wrong in practice: the electrician pulls the cable, but sealing the penetration is not always included in the same order. So agree in advance who seals the penetrations, with which system, and who checks this at handover.
Planning new charging infrastructure in an existing parking garage? Have it assessed in advance which fire separations will be affected, so that sealing is a standard part of the charging project instead of a later catch-up job.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Charging points must comply with mode 3 or mode 4 under NEN 1010, the car park must have a facility to switch off all charging points at once, and information about that facility and the location of the charging points must be provided at the entrance. This applies to new car parks and to new charging points in existing car parks, not to existing charging points that a renovation does not concern. The requirements for compartmentation and the structure continue to apply as well.
The owner remains responsible for the condition of the building, and whoever uses the car park or has it used has a duty of care for fire-safe use. So record in the order who seals the penetration and who checks it. Whether the installer is liable depends on what was agreed in the order.
The required protection of the steel or concrete structure does not change automatically, but every renovation for charging infrastructure is a good moment to check whether the existing structural protection and compartmentalization are still intact.
Want to know more about fire-resistant steel cladding?
Fire-resistant cladding or coating for steel beams and columns, so load-bearing capacity is retained for up to 120 minutes in a fire.
More about fire-resistant steel cladding
