Fire Factor Calculator

The Fire Factor Calculator helps estimate the fire hazard level of a building area by quantifying the amount of combustible material present and its ease of ignition and burning. It is an essential tool for architects, safety engineers, insurance assessors, and facility managers. This calculator belongs to the Fire Safety and Risk Assessment Calculator category.

Using the Fire Factor helps determine fire resistance requirements, extinguisher capacity, and emergency planning.

Formula of Fire Factor Calculator

1. Fire Load Density (FLD)

Fire Load Density measures the amount of combustible material per unit area.

FLD = Q / A

Where:

• Q = total heat content of all combustible materials (in MJ or BTU)
• A = floor area (in m² or ft²)

This tells you how much energy would be released if everything combustible burned completely.

2. Fire Factor (FF)

Fire Factor refines this estimate by considering how easily the materials burn.

FF = Fire Load Density × Combustion Factor

Where:

• Combustion Factor is a value between 0 and 1, depending on the materials’ flammability.
  For example:
  • Paper: ~1.0 (highly combustible)
  • Wood: ~0.8
  • Plastics: ~0.9
  • Metals: ~0.1 (most metals have very low combustibility)

Common Reference Table

Material	Typical Combustion Factor
Paper	1.0
Wood	0.7–0.8
Plastics	0.9
Textiles	0.6
Metals	0.05–0.2
Office mixed materials	~0.7

This quick table helps you choose a realistic combustion factor for your area.

Example of Fire Factor Calculator

Scenario:
You have a 100 m² office room containing wooden furniture and paper files with a total estimated heat content of 30,000 MJ.

Step 1:
Calculate Fire Load Density:
FLD = Q / A = 30,000 MJ / 100 m² = 300 MJ/m²

Step 2:
Estimate Combustion Factor:
For mixed office contents, use 0.7.

Step 3:
Calculate Fire Factor:
FF = FLD × Combustion Factor = 300 MJ/m² × 0.7 = 210 MJ/m²

This means the area has a moderate fire hazard requiring standard fire protection.

Most Common FAQs