NBC 2016:2016 Part 4 is the Indian Standard (BIS) for national building code of india 2016 - fire and life safety. Part 4 of the National Building Code of India 2016 provides comprehensive guidelines for fire and life safety in buildings. It covers the classification of buildings, fire zones, means of egress, and active and passive fire protection systems based on occupancy type and building height.
Provides comprehensive provisions for fire and life safety in buildings, including design, construction, occupancy, and fire protection systems.
Travel distances, exit widths, fire-resistance ratings, occupant loads, refuge area triggers, sprinkler & fire-pump thresholds.
| Reference | Value | Clause |
|---|---|---|
| High-rise trigger — fire provisions apply— exact threshold varies by occupancy | >15 m height (residential >15 m, others >12 m) | Cl. 1.2 / 4.1 |
| Type 1 construction — fire resistance (load-bearing wall) | 4 hours | Cl. 3.4.4 (Table 1) |
| Type 2 construction — fire resistance (columns/beams) | 3 hours | Cl. 3.4.4 (Table 1) |
| Type 3 construction — fire resistance | 2 hours | Cl. 3.4.4 (Table 1) |
| Type 4 construction — fire resistance | 1 hour | Cl. 3.4.4 (Table 1) |
| Max travel distance — Group A (Residential) | 22.5 m (sprinklered: 30 m) | Cl. 4.4.2 (Table 7) |
| Max travel distance — Group B/C/D (Educational/Inst./Assembly) | 22.5 m (sprinklered: 30 m) | Cl. 4.4.2 (Table 7) |
| Max travel distance — Group E/F (Business/Mercantile) | 30 m (sprinklered: 45 m) | Cl. 4.4.2 (Table 7) |
| Min staircase width — residential | 1.0 m (≤G+3); 1.25 m (high-rise) | Cl. 4.4.3 |
| Min staircase width — assembly/educational | 2.0 m (assembly); 1.5 m (educational) | Cl. 4.4.3 |
| Min corridor / exit access width | 1.5 m (residential 1.0 m) | Cl. 4.4.3 |
| Min exit door width | 1.0 m (residential); 2.0 m (assembly) | Cl. 4.4.3 |
| Number of exits — minimum per floor | 2 (3 if occupant load >500; 4 if >1000) | Cl. 4.4.1 |
| Occupant load — Residential | 12.5 m²/person | Cl. 4.3 (Table 6) |
| Occupant load — Office/Business | 10.0 m²/person | Cl. 4.3 (Table 6) |
| Occupant load — Mercantile (street/upper floor) | 3.7 / 5.6 m²/person | Cl. 4.3 (Table 6) |
| Occupant load — Assembly (concentrated, non-fixed seats) | 0.6 m²/person | Cl. 4.3 (Table 6) |
| Refuge area — required from | Above 24 m height | Cl. 4.8 |
| Refuge area — frequency | Every 7th storey thereafter | Cl. 4.8 |
| Refuge area — min size | 15 m² or 0.3 m²/occupant served | Cl. 4.8 |
| Sprinkler — mandatory above (residential)— all basement >200 m² and high hazard | >15 m height or >25 m (high-rise group) | Cl. 4.9 |
| Fire pump — min static water tank— varies by occupancy & height | 75,000 L (low-rise) – 200,000 L (high-rise) | Cl. 4.10 (Table 23) |
| Fire tender access — driveway width / load | 6 m clear width; 45 t axle load | Cl. 4.4.1 |
| Fire lift — required above— min car size 1.4 × 1.6 m, 545 kg | 15 m (residential 30 m) | Cl. 4.7 |
BIM-relevant code. See the BIM Hub for ISO 19650, IFC, and LOD/LOIN frameworks used alongside it.
| Parameter | IS Value | International | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| High-Rise Building Definition Threshold | Building height ≥ 15 m | Building with an occupied floor > 75 ft (≈ 23 m) above lowest level of fire dept. vehicle access | IBC 2024 |
| Mandatory Refuge Area Requirement | Yes, for buildings > 24m, at 24m and then every 15m. Area is 0.3 m²/person or 15 m² min. | No specific prescriptive requirement; addressed by other means like evacuation elevators or additional stairwells. | IBC 2024 |
| Min. Corridor Width (Institutional/Hospitals) | 2.0 m for non-ambulatory patients; 2.4 m if for stretcher movement | 96 inches (≈ 2.44 m) in new healthcare occupancies | NFPA 101:2024 |
| Max. Travel Distance (Business Occupancy, Sprinklered) | 45 m | 300 ft (≈ 91 m) | NFPA 101:2024 |
| Fire Resistance of Exit Stair Enclosure (High-Rise) | 2 hours | 2 hours | IBC 2024 |
| Automatic Sprinkler Trigger (New Hotels) | Mandatory if height > 15 m | Required in all new hotels, regardless of height (with few exceptions for small buildings) | NFPA 101:2024 |
| Ramp Slope (Means of Egress) | Maximum 1 in 10 (10%) | Maximum 1 in 12 (≈ 8.3%) | IBC 2024 |