Fire Safety Engineering: How can it provide value to your building?
As the design and construction of buildings continues to develop, using more materials and becoming more complex and innovative it is imperative to consider the fire safety implications of new buildings or refurbishment projects at the earliest possible stage. This is where Fire Safety Engineering comes in.
The primary objective of Approved Document B and the associated codes of practice nominated therein (British Standards), is to set out the life safety design requirements (functional requirements) which need to be satisfied to obtain an adequate level of safety within buildings in the event of a fire. These codes do not however preclude the use of fire engineering principles to design out problems to obtain a similar or improved level of safety. On the contrary, the use of fire safety engineering is endorsed as an acceptable method of achieving compliance with the functional requirements of Approved Document B.
A fire safety engineering approach that takes into account the total fire safety package can often provide a more fundamental and economical solution than more prescriptive approaches to fire safety. It may, in some cases, be the only viable means of achieving a satisfactory standard of fire safety in some large and complex buildings. Successful fire engineered designs require an understanding of a wide range of issues and components, and the interactions between them such as fire source, fire loading, smoke production and control, heat transfer to the building structure, automatic fire detection, and fire suppression systems etc. A crucial factor also considered and factored in to all fire engineered designs is human behaviour.
Fire engineering can have many benefits and in particular it will:
a) provide the designer with a disciplined approach to fire safety design;
b) allow the safety levels for alternative designs to be compared;
c) provide a basis for selection of appropriate fire protection systems and solutions;
d) provide opportunities for innovative design where open spatial planning and large compartments are a building feature:
(i) allowing large undivided compartments as compared with Approved Document B
(ii) achieving of reduced fire resistance ratings
(iii) allowing increased travel distances
e) provide information on the management of fire safety for a building;
f) enable the achievement of the most cost effective design solutions.
The S2 Partnership provides fire engineering solutions for new build designs or building refurbishment works and works in partnership with clients to achieve efficient and effective outcomes. Our specialist fire engineering consultants attend site to identify a range of fire engineering options through discussion and negotiation with statutory authorities, producing comprehensive reports of findings and ensuring resolution of fire safety matters. For further information, please contact our fire team.