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fire safe facades

Addressing the Key BSA Concerns of 78% of Architects | New Lunch and Learn

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According to a recent RIBA survey, 78% of architects have expressed significant concern about the implications of the Building Safety Act, particularly regarding compliance and the need for ongoing professional development to ensure fire safety in their designs.

Join EQUITONE for an insightful Lunch and Learn that delves deeper into fire-safe facades and their relation to the Building Safety Act (BSA).

This session is designed to help you navigate critical aspects of fire safety in building design, from understanding regulations to enhancing safety standards.

Click here to request your Lunch and Learn

(Available to UK practises only)

 Learning Objectives

During EQUITONE’s Lunch and Learn, you will discover:

  • Why we need to act
  • Overview of building regulations
  • Fire classification explained
  • The importance of the Golden Thread
  • Standards and guidance for conformity

Roundtable insights on the BSA

The Building Safety Act has had a huge impact for the construction industry, imposing stringent new requirements for higher-risk buildings. Building Magazine, in partnership with EQUITONE explored this with a roundtable of professionals from architecture, engineering, construction and client sectors earlier this year.

This thought leadership event posed some fascinating questions and insights. Click here to view EQUITONE’s latest article on the BSA and the Roundtable summary (In the further reading section).

Fire Safety on high-rise or high-risk buildings

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When it comes to fire safety, two types of buildings need some extra attention: high-rise and high-risk buildings. What do these terms exactly mean? And what should you bear in mind to ensure optimum safety?

High-rise buildings

What is a high-rise building?

20190205 RW-RP PHO 00495Height is an important factor in fire safety. The definition of what constitutes a high-rise building differs per European country. In Germany, the limit for high-rise buildings is 22 metres and above, in the UK it’s 18 metres and above, in Belgium it’s 25 metres and above etc. No matter what the exact limit is, it remains indisputable that risks increase when the height of a building is at a certain level.

Fire safety risks in high-rise buildings

Escaping from tall buildings is more complicated and takes more time compared to a single-family house with only one floor. Not only do high-rises have more inhabitants or people that work in them, normal houses also have more escape routes (windows, doors) and are therefore easier to escape when a fire occurs.

Using combustiblematerials on a building that is, for instance, 15 metres tall and thus not generally recognised as a high-rise, greatly enlarges the risks in the event of a fire and can have a catastrophic outcome.

New regulations for fire safety

Often high-rise limits are based upon possibilities for fire fighters to reach the fire via ladders or other equipment. With the rapid changes in the building environment, these methods cannot always be applied and by this the limits are part of the debate in defining new regulations for fire safety.

Design out the risk in high-rise and high-risk buildings. Just to be sure.

High-risk buildings

What is a high-risk building?

Senior female woman patient in wheelchair sitting in hospital corridor with Asian Indian male doctor and female nurse colleagues; Shutterstock ID 181449284

A high-risk building is a building where the impact of a fire can be catastrophic. Hospitals, nursing homes, schools, hotels, student housing: all of these and similar buildings fall under the definition of high-risk. These are buildings where a lot of people live, sleep, are in need of care and/or cannot escape quickly or easily in case of a fire emergency. The risks of losing lives due to a fire are high within this category of buildings. Also, the loss of property and the decreasing economic value of a high-risk building are aspects of attention here.

Future use of buildings

It is also important to keep in mind the future use of a building. A structure that today is not considered a high-risk building, could be one in ten years from now if the usage of it changes. For example, from an office building to an elderly care home.

Therefore, keeping in mind the lifetime safety of a building and its users is always the best way to go when dealing with fire safety. Using non-combustibleis the only way to design out the potential dangers involved with current or future high-risk buildings.