Fire safety for parking garages
Structural protection and compartmentalization in parking garages, including the risks of EV charging.
Parking garages are large, open compartments with a heavy fire load and, increasingly, charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. In the event of a vehicle fire in an enclosed garage, the fire department adopts a defensive response, which makes structural fire safety weigh even more heavily.
We protect the load-bearing steel and concrete structure against collapse, realize the compartmentalization toward adjacent functions (residential units, offices, stairwells), and, as a Kiwa-certified company, seal all penetrations in those separations with tested systems.
Risks relevant to this sector
Structural collapse
In a prolonged vehicle fire, unprotected steel or prestressed concrete can lose its load-bearing capacity. Fire-resistant cladding keeps the structure standing until the garage is safe.
EV charging infrastructure
More charging points means more cable trays and more power. The separations between the garage and the residential or work functions above must accommodate those additional penetrations, sealed with a tested system that suits that application.
Transition to other functions
It's precisely at the boundary between the garage and the stairwell or storage areas that things go wrong: gaps, unsealed openings, and doors that no longer close.
Services that make the biggest difference here
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 claddingFire-Resistant Separating Structures
Fire-resistant walls, partition systems and ceilings that divide your building into manageable fire compartments.
More about fire-resistant separating structuresFire-Resistant Seals
Sealing penetrations against fire with collars, wrap strips, sealant, mortar or other systems with a substantiated application, so that the WBDBO of your fire separation stays intact.
More about fire-resistant sealsFire-Resistant Doors
Fire doors made to measure, adjusted or refurbished: up to 60 minutes fire resistance, smoke-resistant where required, self-closing and certified.
More about fire-resistant doorsWhat that looks like in practice
Beneath a residential building, we applied fire-resistant cladding to the steel beams of the parking level and restored the complete fire separation to the storage units and stairwell, with new self-closing doors.
View our projectsAssessment framework
- Besluit bouwwerken leefomgeving (Bbl) - requirements for parking garages
- NEN-EN 13381 - fire resistance of structural components
- NEN 6068 - WBDBO to adjacent compartments
Questions about fire safety in parking garages
New charging points change the installation and possibly the fire separations. Have it assessed whether the additional penetrations and the extra power affect the compartmentalization.
No, the finish is functional: panels or spray coating, matched to the required fire resistance duration of the structure.
Usually the municipality, as the competent authority. The safety region or fire service advises and may be involved in supervision, depending on local arrangements. Owner and user have duties of care for the condition of the building and for fire-safe use; record that structural protection and compartmentation are inspected and maintained.
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