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Fire Engineering is the application of knowledge, skills, regulations, codes and expert experience to ensure that the project is provided with fit for purpose active and passive fire protection mechanisms and equipment.

The main purpose of Fire Engineering is to provide a safe and sustainable environment for the occupants of a residential, commercial or industrial building.

Fire Engineers do the following:

  1. Conduct in depth fire risk assessments on new and existing fire safety installations.
  2. Detail designs of the following systems:
  3. Fire sprinkler protection
  4. Smoke ventilation and Fire Detection
  5. Fire hydrant, fire hose reel water reticulation and assessment of adequate water provisions.
  6. Escape routes, fire separations, fire doors
  7. Ensure the correct use of building materials and finishes.
  8. Flammable liquid storage designs and permits for on-site commercial or industrial applications.
  9. Investigation of fire incidents to analyse and evaluate causes.
  10. Participation in knowledge base development with local authorities and Bureau of Standards

The involvement of fire engineers can help to achieve increased design freedom without having to compromise on safety.

The following regulatory requirements set out in SANS 10400-T Regulation T (1) (a) to (e) is regarded as the critical high-level performance criteria to be achieved in a Fire Design:

  1. The protection of occupants or users, including persons with disabilities, therein is ensured and that provision is made for the safe evacuation of such occupants or user;
  2. The spread and intensity of such fire within such building and the spread of fire to any other building will be minimized;
  3. Sufficient stability will be retained to ensure that such building will not endanger any other building: Provided that in the case of any multi-storey building no major failure of the structural system shall occur;
  4. The generation and spread of smoke will be minimized or controlled to the greatest extent reasonably practicable; and
  5. Adequate means of access, and equipment for detecting, fighting, controlling and extinguishing such fire, is provided.

Taking a fire engineered performance-based design approach may achieve complete compliance as well as some of the following benefits:  

  • Extended travel distances
  • Reduce staircase/exit requirements
  • Allows use of non-standard escape routes
  • Allows greater design flexibility and open plan arrangements
  • Maximise floor space resulting in increased revenue
  • Allows greater freedom in material use
  • Maximizes non-fire rated facade areas
  •  Reduce fire protection to structure
  • Provides alternative methods of maintaining compartmentation
  • Maximizes use and performance of fire safety systems provided
  • Minimizes fire safety systems such as sprinklers & fire alarms
  • Achieve construction cost savings
Our approach is significantly more effective than competitors who tend to only apply deem to satisfy rules from the SANS standards. SANS was intended for basic building designs like residential and buildings of smaller dimensions and many of the standards does not apply to larger, more complex, higher risk buildings and infrastructures nor industrial or large commercial facilities.
 

We believe in our design approach to stand on the shoulders of “Giants” to use best current global knowledge and insights. This add value to our services provided and reducing client project risks and ensuring safe, economically viable and sustainable developments.