Fire Safety Engineering

Our bespoke fire strategies can address the specific fire risks within a building from the early design stage or later. We can help clients gain approval for a design that doesn’t yet comply with standard fire safety codes or review existing strategies to enable renovation work.

Our reports can also inform on how the standards of fire safety are to be maintained throughout all stages of the construction and beyond. A comprehensive fire strategy will detail elements like:

• • Evacuation routes
  • Provisions for firefighting
  • Passive and active fire safety systems e.g. compartmentalisation, suppression, emergency lighting and alarms
  • Material classifications and recommendations for the fire rating of walls, doors, floors, and overall structure
  • Occupant risk profiles
  • Highlight and internal and external fire spread issues

Structural fire engineering is a technique that can accurately predict fire severity for key locations within the building and calculate the impact of the fire on each element of structure. Our advice can help to identify and plan the best, most effective solutions for the building - often resulting in reduced fire protection being needed, and major cost savings.

Using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) we can precisely calculate flow speeds, pressures, behaviours, and other characteristics that enable us to model specific scenarios in a digitally created environment. This allows us to determine how a fire will develop in a set scenario, without the need for expensive physical tests.

Scientific data and analysis can be turned into ‘what if’ models that can provide a true understanding of potential risks and form the basis of recommendations that support any engineering conclusions. Types of CFD modelling include: Smoke Modelling, Radiation Modelling and Evacuation Modelling.

Fire safety disputes may require the advice of independent experts like our fire engineers, to reach a satisfactory and justifiable outcome. Our highly experienced engineers can interpret and explain the significance of complex technical evidence and are proficient in providing clear fire safety expert witness testimony in court.

Our fire safety engineers have extensive knowledge and expertise in the evaluation of fire protection products, their field of application, constituent materials and their properties, and provide comprehensive EWS reviews nationwide.

There are two types of Fire Statements: London Plan Fire Statements and Gateway One Fire Statements. These are used to support certain large development Planning Applications.

London Plan Fire Statements are only for projects in London and they require a fire engineer (registered with the IFE) to confirm that the design meets the specific fire standards described in the London Plan.

Gateway One Fire Statements are required throughout England and involve the Building Safety Regulator (part of the HSE) giving approval to developments through Gateway One (at Planning), Gateway Two (at detailed design) and Gateway Three (on completion). During Gateway One there is a requirement for a competent fire engineer (registered with the IFE) to complete a Fire Statement that describes the fire safety standards for the building.

Being recognised as a leading fire safety consultancy with a respected and trusted opinion; we are often approached to review, comment and advise upon existing design submissions and various engineering scenarios and conclusions.

Our peer review service provides the likes of Building Control Officers, Contractors, Installers and anyone looking for a credible second opinion, peace of mind and confidence.