Upgrading Fire Performance

Upgrading fire performance

Warringtonfire’s team of engaged experts can provide advice on upgrading fire performance in your building as part of our wider services to the fire sector.

Upgrading fire performance in a building is not always straightforward but Warringtonfire’s team of engaged experts can find solutions to complex projects.

Where it’s not appropriate or practical to replace existing building components to comply with Building Regulations (e.g. a change of use in a grade-listed building), designers and property owners / managers may need to consider measures to upgrade fire performance.

Buildings of special interest often have unique requirements with respect to fire safety management and as such need to be considered on an individual basis in terms of assessing and mitigating fire risk, e.g. there are often circumstances where it is necessary or desirable to retain the existing doors but increase their fire resistance to a required level.

How to upgrade fire performance

Our product assessors carry out on-site building inspections to evaluate the likely fire resistance of a particular element of construction and make recommendations for upgrading fire performance.

This inspection report can be used to support bespoke fire risk management solutions. We can also develop tailor-made test programs using current British or European test standards or ad-hoc methods to provide solutions for retaining or upgrading specific elements of construction within buildings of special interest.

There are numerous methods for upgrading fire performance to enhance fire resistance of existing protection measures, although every upgrade is specific to each element and consequently may not necessarily be appropriate for another design.

To be confident that the most appropriate method is chosen for the situation on site, and the  enhanced integrity performance has been appropriately assessed, a site survey by a suitably experienced and competent product assessor should be commissioned.

Our breadth of knowledge and understanding of the built environment extends wider than the field of fire safety. We can access a wealth of information on buildings of special interest and liaise with other specialist building / material consultants should it be necessary.

Where our work involves listed or historic buildings, we can explain the considerations required for upgrading fire performance within heritage and conservation guidelines.

Our expertise in this area has been successfully used in some of the most notable buildings in the UK, including castles, manor homes, listed hotels and historic transport centers / networks.