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Emergency evacuation is the main concern in crowded airport terminals. Data on occupant loading are important for designing means of escape. However, very few field survey data on crowded terminals are available in the literature. There are queries concerning whether the data specified in the prescriptive codes are realistic in designing safety systems in modern terminals. More questions have been raised for those terminals using data, such as maximum floor area allowances per occupant, from the prescriptive codes which have not yet been verified for carrying out performance-based fire engineering design. In this study, passenger loading in the Hong Kong airport terminal was investigated. A field survey was carried out, in which the performance-based design was based on the occupant loading factor extracted from the prescriptive codes of Hong Kong. Transient passenger loadings of the airport in different seasons were compiled. The results were used to justify the maximum allowed loadings specified in design codes and standards.

For spaces without compartmentation, or where it is not possible to provide compartmentation, drencher system might be installed to preuent heat transferfiom the fire zone to the adjacent areas. Spaces with large openingssuch as refugefifloor also have this requirement. But questions had been raised on whether thedrenchersystem iseffective in providingft'resafety, especially when used aternally under wind environment, In thispaper, designguides on thissystem in diffment countries including UK, USA and Australia are reviewed with key features reported to give a better understanding on this system. ScientiJc aspects are also introduced. Application to the local airport terminal buildings are demonstrated.

Fire safety strategy for airport terminals will be proposed in this paper. The local airport terminal is taken as an example. Special features of airport terminals will be outlined. The retail areas are identified as places with higher fire risk. Standards, codes and design guidelines used overseas are reviewed and compared with the local codes. Based on the study, fire safety strategy is suggested to have four parts:• passive building construction for fire safety• active fire protection systems or fire services installation• fire safety management• control of risk factors.All four parts will be discussed in this paper. Suggestions are made to give a fire safe airport terminal.