Integrating Japanese Performance-Based and Foreign Prescriptive Fire Safety Codes in Oda Railway Projects

This paper examines the integration of Japanese performance-based fire safety standards and foreign prescriptive building codes in an ODA railway project, using the underground stations of Ho Chi Minh City Metro Line 1 as a case study. Although fire safety planning followed Japanese performance-based standards, compliance with Vietnam’s prescriptive fire code (QCVN06), not intended for underground railway stations, was required during design approval. By maintaining performance-based evacuation verification while reinterpreting prescriptive requirements, including redefining evacuation completion points, both regulatory approval and evacuation safety were achieved. The study provides practical insights into integrating different regulatory frameworks in international underground railway projects.