Fire safety expert would deny electric car charging points in the construction of underground parking garages

the department of the Environment deals with the process of building fire safety regulation concerning change opinions.

the draft Regulation, the text is not an electric car tourism to be addressed, but individual opinions concern has been expressed about electric vehicles become more common a result of the fire safety risks.

but whether the building regulations coming electric cars because of the new requirements?

– the Matter is under consideration, including the car of the fire load point of view. The fire load affects, for example, in apartment buildings, separating and position of building elements fire technical requirements. At this stage it is early to take a position whether an electric car you need to revise the structure of the fire safety provisions. This issue requires further clarification, found the building council Jorma Jantunen the environment ministry.

as well As the fire the work of a master that the fire safety design to do an expert's according to the new requirements is already busy. The reason is electric car charging points number of drastic growth.

– download the points should not be far at all to build anywhere other than outside the ground-to-date for the parking lot, said fire safety designer, engineer Ari Mattila.

If a person is not in immediate danger, can the electric car fire shut down be wise to leave the fire brigade's task. Camilla Uçan / Yle

according to him, the electric car fire truck is the usual internal combustion engine of the car compared to a considerable size. Secondly, sytyttyään electric car battery burned very hot and for a long time. Some battery types combustion also generates its own oxygen.

– most Effective electric car fire extinguishing method has proved to be the car water immersion, says Mattila.

in Practice, this can be done for example by moving the car closer to the transfer stage, and filling the stage with water. Outside lift to be successful, but, for example, the parking garages, it is more difficult.

It's shutdown have to do underground and then it is a very demanding smoke-diving. And if its duration is 24 hours, Finland does not have any save that task feet dry. It requires so much manpower and equipment that it becomes a huge problem, he describes.

What, then, for example, a typical hypermarket parking facilities renovation of electrical fire are resilient to pay?

– If fire duration time is increased, possibly built their own fire department and provide fire extinguishing water collecting then talk about some of the hundreds of thousands of euros, Mattila drops.

Fireman's rule of thumb, shutting down based on either oxygen, heat or burning substance removal. Electric car battery back in, shutting down the usually just chilling. Henrietta Hassinen / Yle

Although in many parking garages is already automatic shutdown devices, require a fire you almost always fire on the spot.

If we're talking about a normal car fire, shutdown can take care of ruuttaa ground water in the radiator grille into the engine compartment or by opening the bonnet and ruuttaa the country. But the electric car battery, they are in the car under the floor. They will not be able to turn off: Someone flames can knock down, but they will not turn off it, Mattila said.

But how safe parking garage in parking today is structural fire safety point of view?

Since the electric cars is still relatively low, the department of the environment, it is estimated that at least in the new parking facility where fire safety issues are mainly in place. Old low and narrow parking garages are completely different things.

I don't think it's the new construction side, the problem is either. But of course, we can have the old building stock of car protection. They have smoke removal and other terms designed for its early assumptions. They are then more challenging, consider building councillor Jantunen.

see also:

the Government wants to oblige property owners to increase electric car charging points – Also car free may have to pay

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