Fire engineering

In most situations compliance with approved Document B, (Fire Safety) or BS 9999:2008, (Fire safety in the design, management and use of buildings) or, BS 5588-1, (Fire precautions in the design, construction and use of buildings for residential buildings) is appropriate for the design of fire safety in most classes of buildings. In large or complex buildings, often with mixed use, BS 7974 0-7 (Application of fire safety engineering principles to the design of buildings) can often be the only solution.

It is a general rule that In terms of fire safety the design of all buildings should be as simple as possible. This is because complex systems can be difficult to understand and usually require a high level of management and competence. Where possible a simple and general approach should be adopted. In the majority of projects in the UK designers follow simple guidelines such as Approved Document B to demonstrate compliance with the Building Regulations.

BS 9999 is used where a more advanced approach is sought. It is closely linked to fire safety management and is a risk based design solution. Many of the fire engineering principles embedded in BS 7974 are used but it does not provide a fire engineering solution. It is a much more structured approach that allows the designer more flexibility through greater understanding of the human and physical factors that affect risk.

Fire engineering provides an alternative approach to fire safety. Fire engineering solutions can overcome the prescriptive requirements of the general and advanced approach and enable the erection of large complex structures such as stadiums or atrium buildings. Fire engineering enables a comparative study of various safety levels for alternative design solutions and identifies areas for research to enable cost effective design solutions. Fire engineering by its very nature enables the development of fire safety not only at the design stage but also during the life of the building.

Fire engineering is often the preferred approach when design solutions are required for the alteration or change of use of historic buildings. In these situations the conservation of the fabric and character of the building becomes paramount.