What main national standards are referenced in hotel fire protection design? List of design references
I am fire protection expert Alexander Li. As a high-occupancy venue, a hotel's fire protection design is directly tied to the safety of life and property, so citing the correct national standards is the cornerstone of design work. Having participated in hotel project reviews for many years, I know well that the completeness and accuracy of the design basis list is the key to ensuring system compliance and passing acceptance. Below is my compiled list of the main national standards forming the basis for hotel fire protection design, combining code clauses with practical experience.
First, the most core general code is **GB 50016-2014"Code for Fire Protection Design of Buildings"(2018 Edition)**. This is the "parent code" for hotel fire protection design, covering basic requirements such as building classification, fire resistance rating, fire compartments, safe evacuation, and fire protection facilities. For example, Clause 5.1.1 requires that when a hotel building height exceeds 54 m, the fire resistance rating shall be Grade I; Clause 8.3.3 specifies that high-rise hotels shall be equipped with automatic sprinkler systems. In an actual project, I once handled a 50 m-high hotel where, per Clause 5.5.17 of this code, the evacuation distance had to be controlled within 30 m, which affected the stairwell layout.
Second, for fire water systems, **GB 50084-2017"Code for Design of Sprinkler Systems"** and **GB 50974-2014"Technical Code for Fire Water Supply and Hydrant Systems"** are crucial. Clause 6.1.1 of GB 50084 requires that the operating temperature of sprinklers in hotel guest rooms, corridors and similar spaces is typically 68°C (nominal operating temperature), while 93°C sprinklers are required in kitchen areas. Clause 5.1.13 of GB 50974 specifies the calculation of fire pump flow and head. In a resort hotel project, insufficient pump head led to inadequate pressure at the top-floor hydrants, which was resolved by re-selecting the pump per this code.
For automatic fire alarm systems, **GB 50116-2013"Code for Design of Automatic Fire Alarm Systems"** must be cited. Clause 3.1.2 requires that hotels fall under Class I protection objects and shall be equipped with a centralized alarm system. Clause 6.2.2 specifies that the installation spacing of smoke detectors in guest rooms shall not exceed 8 m. In a high-end hotel I was involved in, because the lobby ceiling height exceeded 12 m, infrared beam smoke detectors were selected per Clause 6.2.5 of this code instead of ordinary point-type detectors.
Smoke control and exhaust system design is based on **GB 51251-2017《Technical Standard for Smoke Control and Exhaust Systems in Buildings》**. Clause 3.1.2 requires that hotel stairwells shall be provided with mechanical pressurization air supply, with the air volume of the supply outlets in the vestibule determined by calculation. Clause 4.4.7 specifies that the distance from the smoke exhaust outlet to the farthest point shall not exceed 30 m. I once optimized the smoke exhaust outlet layout in a hotel corridor, reducing the original design spacing from 35 m to 28 m to ensure compliance.
In addition, gas extinguishing systems must cite **GB 50370-2005"Code for Design of Gas Extinguishing Systems"**, applicable to hotel electrical distribution rooms, kitchens and similar spaces. Clause 3.1.4 requires that the IG541 extinguishing concentration shall not be less than 37%. Electrical design is based on **GB 50058-2014《Code for Design of Electrical Installations in Explosive Hazardous Environments》**, though hotels are usually not involved unless there is a gas boiler room.
Actual case: In a five-star hotel project in Shanghai, the design team initially cited only GB 50016 and overlooked the calculation details in GB 50974 regarding the effective volume of the fire water tank, resulting in insufficient tank capacity. We recalculated per Clause 4.3.2 of the code (which requires storing the water volume for indoor and outdoor hydrants and the automatic sprinkler system) and increased the capacity to 600 m³ before the design passed drawing review.
Concluding conclusion: Hotel fire protection design must systematically cite core codes such as GB 50016, GB 50084, GB 50974, GB 50116, GB 51251, and GB 50370 to form a complete basis list, and attention must be paid to coordination among the codes, such as the linkage between evacuation distance and the alarm system. The above are reference opinions. The actual project situation still needs further comprehensive evaluation and implementation in light of specific operating conditions, site conditions and other factors.