The LWF Blog

Fire Safety Engineering for Design – Fire Safety Design Process – Part 50

October 11, 2021 11:55 am

LWF’s Fire Safety Engineering blog series is written for Architects, building designers and others in the construction industry to highlight and promote discussion on all topics around fire engineering. In part 49, LWF looked at ‘Quantitative Analysis’ and ‘Assessment Against Criteria’; parts two and three of the four stage process when approaching a fire safety engineered design. In part 50, we discuss the fourth and final stage – reporting of results.

Reporting of Results

Buildings designed using fire engineering principles are subject to review by approvals bodies and other parties who may not be specialists in fire engineering techniques. For this reason, it is important that the findings of the fire engineering study are recorded clearly so the underlying philosophy and reasoning is easily understood and can be reviewed by a third party.

The information from this section should be such that it can be included in the fire safety strategy for the premises.

Equally, sufficient information should be provided so that another fire engineer can assess and, if necessary, repeat any calculations and computer modelling used in order to support the design.

The final report should set out the following:

• Basis of design
• Calculation procedures used
• Any assumptions made during the study

The format of the report will be influenced by the nature and scope of the fire engineering study and may vary as per the preference of the fire safety engineer working on the project, but will contain the following information:

1. Objectives of the study
2. Description of building
3. Results of the QDR
4. Design assumptions
5. Proposed fire safety strategy
   • Escape provisions
   • Internal linings and fire spread
   • Compartmentation
   • Structural fire resistance
   • Fire spread to adjacent buildings
   • Access and facilities for the Fire Service
   • Active and passive fire protection measures
6. Quantified analysis
7. Acceptance criteria comparison
8. Management requirements
9. Any restrictions on use or change of use
10. Conclusions
11. Profile of fire engineer incl. qualifications and experience

The report must lay out considerations of life safety, property protection and environmental protection clearly, so that the approvals bodies and building owner, manager and occupier can identify the purpose of each proposed measure.

In part 51 of LWF’s series on fire engineering, we will begin to discuss how risk assessment works in the development of fire engineering designs. In the meantime, if you have any questions about this blog, or wish to discuss your own project with one of our fire engineers, please contact us.

Lawrence Webster Forrest has been working with their clients for over 25 years to produce innovative and exciting building projects. If you would like further information on how LWF and fire strategies could assist you, please contact the LWF office on 0800 410 1130.

While care has been taken to ensure that information contained in LWF’s publications is true and correct at the time of publication, changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact on the accuracy of this information.