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Modern building design is tending ever towards larger, more open plan concepts. This design approach requires that the normally applied prescriptive fire safety standards utilised in more traditional building designs, become restrictive in their application. Statutory design guidelines give the option to developers to move away from the prescriptive fire safety constraints and use an approach that enables engineered solutions to be applied specifically to new and existing buildings. This approach enables the designer to take full advantage of design features and to offset one fire precaution measure with others that may positively contribute towards an aesthetically and engineered optimum solution. Existing buildings subject to redevelopment or fire certification can also benefit from a fire engineered approach, the benefits here in addition to potentially reduced costs and restrictive measures, can include less intrusion particularly if the building is of a Listed or ‘fine’ nature. Fire engineering techniques require the designer to prepare a specific design for a building taking into account the features, proposed use and occupancy of the facility. Prescriptive applied standards are general in their nature and are required to be applicable to all buildings put to a similar use. For maximisation of building potential and optimisation or even feasibility of design, the fire engineer becomes an essential advisor to the facility manager or member of the project design team. LWF are able to undertake on your behalf:
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