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CLOUD BASED ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIES
WHAT WE DO
Building Code Assessments - Cladding Assessments
Fire Engineered Performane Solutions - Building CertificationFire Safety Audits - Computer Modelling of Fire Spread and Smoke movement Post Fire Analysis - Fire Investigation - Insurance WorkFire Engineering is used to give any building a lot more flexibility in design than is allowed by the prescriptive provisions of the Building Code of Australia (the BCA).It may be in the design or construction phase of a new building, in an existing building, or following a fire, that it is noticed that a building doesn't, or can't, meet the requirements of the BCA. A quick phone call followed by an obligation-free meeting with Dolphin Fire Engineering Consultants can give you all your options to make your building comply with the BCA, taking into account your own objectives, needs, and wants, whilst maintaining occupant safety and preventing fire spread.
We do this by meeting the Performance Requirements of the BCA, instead of the Deemed To Satisfy provisions. This is called an Performance Solution. The Performance Requirements states the level of performance which a Building Solution must meet, instead of restricting us to the limits imposed by the BCA.
For example, the BCA states that no part of a building may be more than 20m to an exit, or 40m if there is a coice of 2 exits. By using a fire engineered approach, we can often extend these limits up to 60m or beyond. The Performance Requirement that we would have to meet in this instance would be DP4, which says
Exits must be provided from a building to allow occupants to evacuate safely, with their number,location and dimensions being appropriate to—(a) the travel distance; and(b) the number, mobility and other characteristics of occupants; and(c) the function or use of the building; and(d) the height of the building; and(e) whether the exit is from above or below ground level.
By using a combination of calculations, computer modelling of fire and smoke movement, occupant evacuation modeling, and expert advice, we can show that the occupants of a building may have more than enough time to exit the building safely, and therefore allow the building to have longer travel distances to an exit, or reduced exit widths, or a number of other non-compliances with the BCA.
Other BCA non-compliances regularly met using Alternative Solutions by
We do this by meeting the Performance Requirements of the BCA, instead of the Deemed To Satisfy provisions. This is called an Performance Solution. The Performance Requirements states the level of performance which a Building Solution must meet, instead of restricting us to the limits imposed by the BCA.
For example, the BCA states that no part of a building may be more than 20m to an exit, or 40m if there is a coice of 2 exits. By using a fire engineered approach, we can often extend these limits up to 60m or beyond. The Performance Requirement that we would have to meet in this instance would be DP4, which says
Exits must be provided from a building to allow occupants to evacuate safely, with their number,location and dimensions being appropriate to—(a) the travel distance; and(b) the number, mobility and other characteristics of occupants; and(c) the function or use of the building; and(d) the height of the building; and(e) whether the exit is from above or below ground level.
By using a combination of calculations, computer modelling of fire and smoke movement, occupant evacuation modeling, and expert advice, we can show that the occupants of a building may have more than enough time to exit the building safely, and therefore allow the building to have longer travel distances to an exit, or reduced exit widths, or a number of other non-compliances with the BCA.
Other BCA non-compliances regularly met using Alternative Solutions by
Dolphin Fire Engineering Consultants
Fire Resistance Levels of building elementsCompartmentation and fire separationProtection of openingsNumber of exits requiredTravel distancesDistance between exitsDimensions of exitsSmoke lobbiesRequirements for sprinklersTypes of fire and smoke detectionHydrant and hose-reel requirementsSmoke hazard management requirements - fan sizes and locationsAtriumsSpecial hazardsLarge isolated buildingsAnd many more....