To provide an adequate level of fire life safety (FLS) in the design of any building, structure, or facility, an optimal approach to complying with the building code is crucial.
Vortex Fire conducts plan reviews to confirm compliance with the various building codes and standards. A poorly developed fire safety strategy can lead to non-compliance, abortive works, and overdesign, all of which can be detrimental to any project.
A fire safety strategy is a combination of fire safety measures encompassing fire prevention, management of fire safety and fire protection that has been shown by reference to prescriptive codes and/or performance-based design to be capable of satisfying the agreed fire safety objectives specific to a project.
Fire safety strategies are commonly developed during the design phase for a new development or refurbishment project. They provide an overarching document that sets out the fundamental requirements, which serve as the focus for subsequent, more detailed specifications. A fire safety strategy provides building owners, occupiers, and facility managers with relevant information from which to develop and implement effective prevention and protection solutions.
Typically, a fire safety strategy will outline:
- Fire safety objectives
- Design criteria including applicable codes and standards
- Building and occupancy classification
- Fire service provisions
- Fire compartmentation, structural fire resistance and external fire spread
- Means of egress
- Fire protection systems
- Smoke management systems
- Construction quality assurance
- Fire safety during construction
- Fire safety management
The fire safety strategy will include the extent of any performance-based design and fire engineering analyses adopted, such as fire modelling, evacuation modelling, structural fire engineering, or radiation analyses. It also includes control measures to ensure that ongoing maintenance is implemented and that the strategy remains effective throughout the life of the building.
At Vortex Fire, we ensure the fire safety strategy is appropriate for the project in line with our company values:
Safe, Smart, and Sustainable.
We have an in-depth understanding and proven experience with the application of local and international building codes and standards, which include:
- Abu Dhabi International Building Code (ADIBC)
- National Construction Code (NCC) of Australia
- Alberta Building Code
- NFPA 5000 – Building Construction and Safety Code
- British Columbia Building Code
- NFPA 101 – Life Safety Code
- GCC Building Code
- Ontario Building Code
- International Building Code (IBC)
- Qatar Fire Safety Standards
- International Fire Code (IFC)
- Saudi Building Code (SBC)
- National Building Code of Canada
- UAE Fire and Life Safety Code of Practice
- National Building Code of India
