【 Barrier-free universal design building, how to apply fire doors? 】

In order to build a barrier-free and accessible tourist city and enhance the convenience of life and travel for the elderly, people with disabilities and citizens, the Social Work Bureau formulated the Guidelines for Barrier-Free Universal Design Buildings in the Macao Special Administrative Region in 2017.

Barrier-free entrances and exits of buildings must be at or near the main entrances and exits for safe and barrier-free movement by all, and must be clearly marked at other entrances and exits to prompt access to barrier-free entrances so that all persons, including wheelchair users, can enter and exit the building easily and without assistance. The doors used for entrances and exits have the following reference design points:

The width of the door should allow different people, such as wheelchair users, people with luggage or trolleys, carers with children, etc., to pass through easily. The construction materials of the door and wall should be properly configured, and there should be a clear contrast of colour and brightness, so that the visually impaired can easily identify the exit position. The door switch can be manual, touch or automatic control of the power switch. Among them, the automatic door is a more ideal design, which can reduce the space of the porch entrance and avoid the danger that may occur when the door swings. If equipped with a fire closing device, should consider the installation of electric door opening type or free swing type, to avoid the installation of the need for greater strength, with automatic closing device doors.

But the general fire door, it is more difficult to meet the use of touch, automatic control type of door, because when the fire occurs, the manual door type is more suitable for escape design, because wheelchair users or children use height, push and pull strength have special requirements, then our heavier fire door, how to meet these conditions?

1) The width of the door needs to be met, and the net width between the opposite door frame edge or another door should not be less than 900mm, that is, the passing width must meet 900mm;

2) The door of the door close to the door handle must be provided with a door space, so that the distance between the door near the handle and the wall body is at least 350mm. Therefore, the door less than 350mm from the corner of the room must be opened and closed near this corner. No matter the sliding door or door, a minimum barrier-free space of 1200mm x1200mm must be reserved at the front and back of the door.

3) Handle Except for the doors at the entrance of the building, the height of the door handles shall be between 850-950 mm above the ground, calculated from the finished floor.

4) The method of switching: the switching force of the door with fire resistance effect shall not be more than 35 Newton (excluding the escape door connecting the evacuation staircase and the front room)

5) The design of the door style is recommended to be one-way and open outwards (to prevent the strong pull of the door closing valve spring from resisting the wind); Protruding handle: It is recommended to have sufficient space in front of the door, so that wheelchair users can touch and hold the doorknob while opening the door, and the wheelchair foot can not touch the wall; Door door and door frame with door foot guard plate, in order to prevent the door foot due to long-term collision damage due to wheelchair, wheelchair through the door recommended to install door foot guard plate. The minimum height of the door foot guard is 200 mm. It is recommended to use the long window type/glass door for the door, which can better protect the safety of the user.

      The fire-resistant glass doors, fire-resistant wood doors and fire-resistant stainless steel doors launched by Zhenwei, in addition to having the UM IDQ fire protection report, can also meet the size of the barrier-free design requirements, and build a barrier-free environment for Macao.

Reference source: https://www.ias.gov.mo/wp-content/th emes/ias/tw/download/2021-11-15_add3.pdf