Performance-Based Fire Safety Design

Performance-Based Fire Safety
Design in the UNITED KINGDOM
Cecilia Abecassis Empis
TÆC
RESEARCH • DEVELOPMENT • DESIGN • EDUCATION
1
OVERVIEW
• Performance-Based Design
or Fire Safety Engineering
• Framework within Regulations
– AD B
– BS 7974
• Fire Safety Engineering designers
• Licensing Process & Legal Context
• Competence for Fire Safety Engineering Process
TÆC ORADOR 2
PERFORMANCE-BASED DESIGN
aka FIRE SAFETY ENGINEERING
Life Safety (& property/environmental protection)

Limit Fire Spread
Guarantee structural
Appropriate means of Goals stability
detection and evacuation Functional Limit smoke toxicity
Objectives
Compartmentation Structural protection
Performance Requirements
Evacuation Smoke management
times Approved
Acceptable Performance-Based
Calculation
Solution Alternative Solution
Method
Performance-Based
Under Design Standards:
Prescriptive Standards: development Stipulates how a building
Dictates how a building should perform under a
should be designed/built number of different
conditions/scenarios
* Buchanan, A.H. (2002) Structural Design for Fire Safety, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.,
U.K.
TÆC
PERFORMANCE-BASED DESIGN
aka FIRE SAFETY ENGINEERING
Prescriptive Standards: Performance-Based Design Standards:

Dictates how a building should be Stipulates how a building should perform
Goals under a number of different conditions
designed/built
Functional
- Group of clauses often Objectives - Analytical engineering
based on empirical values calculations
- No explicit evaluation of Performance Requirements - Provides an explicit measure of

level of safety level of safety
Approved
- In general appropriate for Acceptable Performance-Based - In general appropriate for
Calculation
generic buildings Solution Alternative Solution unique/singular buildings
Method
* Buchanan, A.H. (2002) Structural Design for Fire Safety, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.,
U.K.
TÆC
FRAMEWORK WITHIN REGULATIONS
AD B & BS 7974
• General Fire Safety requirements set out in

Approved Document B (AD B):
– Prescriptive standard
– Allows for alternative Fire Safety Engineering solutions
– References other codes and standards for design of
specific sections
• Alternative Fire Safety Engineering approach set out

in BS 7974:2001:
– Applications of fire safety engineering principles to the
design of buildings – Code of Practice
TÆC 5
AD B
• Approved Document B (Fire

Safety), introduced in 2000
• Two volumes:
– Vol.1 Dwellinghouses
– Vol.2 All other building types
• Clearly states functional
objectives
• Initial guidelines emphasise
alternative fire safety engineering
solutions can be used
TÆC 6
AD B
Goals
Functional Objectives
• Functional Objectives (AD B):

Approved
Acceptable Performance-Based
Calculation
Solution Alternative Solution
Method
– B1. To ensure satisfactory provision of means of giving and alarm of fire and a
satisfactory standard of means of escape for persons in the event of a fire in a
building
– B2. To ensure fire spread over the internal linings of buildings is inhibited.
– B3. To ensure the stability of buildings in the event of fire; to ensure that there
is a sufficient degree of separation within buildings and between adjoining
buildings; to provide automatic fire suppression where necessary; and to inhibit
the unseen spread of fire and smoke in concealed spaces in buildings.
– B4. To ensure external walls and roofs have adequate resistance to the
spread of fire over the external envelope, and that spread of fire from one
building to another is restricted.
– B5. To ensure satisfactory access for fire appliances to buildings and the
provision of facilities in buildings to assist firefighters in the saving of life of
people in and around buildings.
TÆC 7
AD B
Goals
Functional Objectives
• AD B allows for Approved Calculation Methods

Approved
Acceptable Calculation Performance-Based
Solution Method Alternative Solution
and Performance-based Alternative Solutions:
TÆC 8
AD B
• AD B suggests Fire
Safety Engineering may
be the only way of
achieving adequate level
of safety in large and
complex buildings
• Suggests FSE can be
used to solve single
aspects of design or
whole strategy
• Refers BS 7974:2001
TÆC 9
AD B for Fire Safety Engineering
TÆC 10
AD B for Fire Safety Engineering
• No more reference to PBD and

FSE in ADB
• Layout of the document makes
‘localised’ PBD very
straightforward
• Breakdown makes identifying
intent/objective of individual
clauses easy
TÆC 11
BS 7974
• BS 7974 introduced in 2001

• In 8 parts:
– General guidance
– Parts for specific sections of fire safety
strategy
• BS are guidance and

recommendations – should not
be quoted as if it were
specification;
TÆC 12
BS 7974
TÆC 13
BS 7974
TÆC 14
BS 7974
• The BS 7974 framework:
TÆC 15
BS 7974
• Essential to understand the intent of the code

• BS 7974 starts with a Quantitative Design
Review (QDR):
– Consider intent of each relevant recommendation
– A particular provision may have more than one
objective
– Develop alternative design solution
– Iterate until demonstrate proposed solution at least
as effective and reliable at meeting intent as the
conventional prescriptive approach
– Design team can include members of the approvals
bodies
• QDR should start at conceptual project phase
and be iterated, as necessary, as project
develops to detailed design phase
TÆC 16
BS 7974
• QDR Procedure:
– Review Architectural designs
– Establish fire safety objectives
– Identify fire hazards and possible consequences
– Establish trial fire safety designs
– Identify acceptance criteria and methods of
analysis
– Establish fire scenarios for analysis
• Quantitative Analysis, either:
– Deterministic design procedures
– Probabilistic design procedures
• Assessment against criteria:
– Deterministic, probabilistic, or comparative
TÆC 17
BS 7974
• BS 7974 also makes recommendations on:

– Sub-systems (Parts 1-7) and how parameters of
design may interact (inter-dependency)
– The outline of report contents
• Emphasises the report should draw clear distinction
between life safety, property protection and
environmental protection
• It is assumed in the preparation of this BS that “the
execution of its provisions is entrusted to appropriately
qualified and competent people”
TÆC 18
FSE DESIGNERS
Who is appropriately qualified and competent to practice

Fire Safety Engineering (PBD)?
• No specific qualification requirements currently exist in

the UK for FSE designers
• For individual products and components certification schemes exist
• Accreditation of Installers and Maintenance firms
– Provides confidence in appropriate standard of workmanship, as fire performance of a
product, component or structure is dependent upon satisfactory site installation and
maintenance
• Third party accreditation of product and installation

conformity provide extra confidence in adequacy of systems
installed
TÆC 19
LICENSING PROCESS & LEGAL CONTEXT
• Building Control Bodies to accept adequacy of FSE

solutions (and product/component certifications) as
evidence of compliance with the relevant standards
• Legal responsibility therefore lies with the approvals

authorities
…but the question of competence remains!
TÆC 20
COMPETENCE FOR FSE PROCESS
What competence is needed to practice and approve

Fire Safety Engineering (PBD)?
• Competence required to evaluate whether alternative solutions
comply with intent of the code:
– Fire Dynamics
– Heat Transfer: radiation, convection & conduction
– Compartment Fire Modelling (zone models, empirical & analytical
correlations)
– Background to empirical tools so can identify limits of applicability
– Fluid Dynamics & turbulence (for adequate use of CFD tools)
– Structural behaviour under transient and elevated temperatures
– Understand theory behind standard testing methods and material
behaviour under exposure to fire and different forms of heat exposure
– Understand limits behind behavioural modelling, etc….
TÆC 21
• Those who practice Fire Safety Engineering in the UK:

– Usually Engineers
– Historically: with university degree in Engineering, Physics or
Chemistry
– Nowadays: with university or Postgraduate degrees in Fire
Safety Engineering
• For system to work, the Approval Authorities need same or
higher level of qualifications
• Authorities need the same or higher level of competence as
Professional Fire Safety Engineers
• Currently authorities often rely on Third Party Reviews by
TÆC 22
• Authorities need same or higher level of qualifications and

competence as Professional Fire Safety Engineers
• Authorities often rely on Third Party Reviews by Professional Fire
Safety Engineers
• Authorities ultimately still assume legal responsibility!

• How to judge competence of Third Party Reviewers?
• Structural Engineering works on self-certification

• Chartered Structural Engineers sign-off on projects and take
responsibility, backed by their charter institutions
• Adequate National and International Chartering Bodies are

necessary to evaluate engineering competence of FSE engineers,
for an effective system
TÆC 23
SUMMARY
• UK Legislation allows for Performance-Based

Design or Fire Safety Engineering
• FSE designer must ensure proposed solutions
comply with the intent of the codes (functional
objectives)
– Whether Prescriptive solutions are applied
– Or an alternative Performance-Based Design
• Building Control Bodies (authorities) approve FSE
designs and are legally responsible
• Authorities often rely on Third Party Reviews by
TÆC 24
Cecilia Abecassis Empis, PhD MEng
Director & Senior Engineer
TORERO, ABECASSIS EMPIS and COWLARD Ltd

E | cecilia@taec.engineering | W | www.taec.engineering
TÆC

Performance-Based Fire Safety Design

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Performance-Based Fire Safety Design

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Performance-Based Fire Safety

Design in the UNITED KINGDOM

Cecilia Abecassis Empis

Life Safety (& property/environmental protection)

Prescriptive Standards: Performance-Based Design Standards:

- No explicit evaluation of Performance Requirements - Provides an explicit measure of

• General Fire Safety requirements set out in

• Alternative Fire Safety Engineering approach set out

• Approved Document B (Fire

• Functional Objectives (AD B):

• AD B allows for Approved Calculation Methods

and Performance-based Alternative Solutions:

• No more reference to PBD and

• BS 7974 introduced in 2001

• BS are guidance and

• The BS 7974 framework:

• Essential to understand the intent of the code

• BS 7974 also makes recommendations on:

Who is appropriately qualified and competent to practice

• No specific qualification requirements currently exist in

• Third party accreditation of product and installation

• Building Control Bodies to accept adequacy of FSE

• Legal responsibility therefore lies with the approvals

…but the question of competence remains!

What competence is needed to practice and approve

• Those who practice Fire Safety Engineering in the UK:

• Authorities need same or higher level of qualifications and

• Authorities ultimately still assume legal responsibility!

• Structural Engineering works on self-certification

• Adequate National and International Chartering Bodies are

• UK Legislation allows for Performance-Based

RESEARCH • DEVELOPMENT • DESIGN • EDUCATION

TORERO, ABECASSIS EMPIS and COWLARD Ltd

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