Where Fire engineering is used in assembly buildings it can provide architects with an increased flexibility which allows the freedom to design iconic buildings without being constrained by the restrictions of standard guidance. The main fire safety design challenges in this type of building are limited compartment sizes, maximum occupancy numbers and inflexible evacuation philosophies.
Limited compartment sizes - Omega Fire can often increase compartment sizes above those mended with standard guidance. This is typically avhieved through fire engineering techniques such as modelling and creating virtual smoke compartments that can utilise the buildings organic structure to limit smoke movement.
Evacuation philosophies - efficient evacuation philosophies which are reflective of the risks specific to the building are critical to avoid overprovision of fire safety systems whilst providing safe and efficient mechanisms of evacuation. False alarms can be detrimental to the running of the schemes and can significantly affect the ongoing management and profitability of the development; by developing a bespoke evacuation strategy that restricts evacuation zone size, unwanted disruption can be minimised. The use of a phased evacuation can also reduce the amount of exit width required therefore providing a more efficient floorplate design. The amount of occupants permitted in a building can often be increased by using detailed evacuation modelling to fully assess the current escape provisions and determine the extent to which it is possible to increase the occupancy numbers.
Assembly