FIRE RESISTANCE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP

THE INSTITUTION OF FIRE ENGINEERS

Founded 1918 Incorporated 1924

Introduction to the Special Interest Group on Fire Resistance

Steel in Fire Forum, University of Sheffield,

23rd September 2014

FIRE RESISTANCE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP

Summary

• Why have a Special Interest Group (SIG)?

• What are the limitations and dangers of ‘unthinking’ fire resistance (FR) design?

• What characterises a good FR design approach?

• How can the SIG promote good design?

• Structural Fire Engineering (SFE)

• Stakeholder Working Group

• SIG going forward

FIRE RESISTANCE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP

SIG on Fire Resistance – Why?

• Many misconceptions

• Stakeholder interests not well captured

• Performance criteria not well defined

• Inefficient FR design commonplace

• Potential for unsafe design

• Design and fire protection (FP) specification processes disjointed

• Evolving technologies and SFE discipline

• Keeping pace with innovations in design

FIRE RESISTANCE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP

‘Unthinking’ fire resistance design

• Apathy leading to ignorance of limitations of prescriptive guidance

• Risk of failure

• Legislative compliance only (i.e. life safety) – other project goals not considered

• Uneconomical solutions

FIRE RESISTANCE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP

Good design: “Whole life fire resistance”

• Holistic, coordinated approach

• All stakeholders’ interests

• Full life-cycle of asset / building

• Integration as part of wider design from concept stage

• Interaction between fire engineering and structural engineering

• Performance-based SFE

• Communication with FP suppliers

Goals

Solutions Constraints

Law, A. (2014)

FIRE RESISTANCE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP

Fire safety strategy

Risk-based studies

Thermo-mechanical

analysis

Coordination with structural

design

Coordination with contractors, sub-

contractors

Assess performance and

goals

Stakeholder engagement

Performance objectives

Structural fire engineering

Prescriptive approach

Whole-life fire

resistance design

FIRE RESISTANCE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP

Facilitating innovative architectural and structural design

FIRE RESISTANCE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP

Optimisation of fire protection solutions

FIRE RESISTANCE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP

Achieving sustainability goals

FIRE RESISTANCE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP

Meeting stakeholder robustness objectives

FIRE RESISTANCE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP

Improving resilience of insured assets; business continuity goals

FIRE RESISTANCE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP

Preserving heritage

FIRE RESISTANCE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP

Goals of the SIG

• Establish SFE as a core, embedded discipline

• White paper – “Whole life fire resistance”, reviewing:

– goals of clients, designers, end users

– expectations of fire & rescue service

– societal fire resistance expectations

– impact of base-build strategy on fit-out flexibility, alterations

– impact of SFE on full life-cycle of a building

– how intentions of designers are interpreted, varied, applied

• Engaging and educating stakeholders, designers

• Identify knowledge gaps and support R&D

FIRE RESISTANCE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP

Stakeholder working group

Will include:

• a representative client, i.e. investor / developer

• design team members, i.e. architect and structural engineer

• a project manager either from a main contractor or specialist subcontractor

• a representative from the insurance industry

• a specialist passive supplier and / or installer

FIRE RESISTANCE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP

Stakeholder working group

First meeting early 2015; key objective to review:

• Stakeholders’ and designers’ understanding of Building Regulations, Part B requirements

• Impact of FR design (prescriptive or otherwise) on insurability and premiums

• How main contractor and subcontractors interpret, develop and apply engineered proposals

• Practicalities of implementing proposals on site

FIRE RESISTANCE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP

SIG, currently…

• Danny Hopkin: Chair (Trenton Fire)

• Luke Bisby (University of Edinburgh)

• Panos Kotsovinos (Arup Fire)

• Eoin O’Loughlin (AECOM)

• Peter Wilkinson (Pyrology)

• Matt Ryan / Guy Foster (LFEPA)

• Russell Kirby (FM Global)

• Jonathan White (District Surveyors Office)

FIRE RESISTANCE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP

Going forward

• Actively seeking further representatives with backgrounds in fire resistance testing

• Engagement with other bodies (e.g. complimentary IFE SIGs, RIBA committees, IStructE FESG)

• Outputs on members’ area of www.ife.org.uk

• Correspondence: consultations@ife.org.uk