Fıre engıneerıng consultancy + safety desıgn
Our Servıces
Fire safety design, and development of appropriate fire strategies, depends on understanding the basis of design guidance and being able to demonstrate compliance with local regulations.
States and local jurisdictions typically adopt and adhere to model building codes and standards, such as the International Building and Fire Codes (ICC) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards. Model codes are written for a broad spectrum of buildings, which results in the need for interpretation. Building code consulting refers to guidance on the intent of code language for design teams and building owners based on years of experience in the application and interpretation from building code officials throughout the world. Serving on codes and standards committees is excellent preparation for interpreting the intent of building and fire codes.
Prescriptive requirements in model codes are open to interpretation. Some outside-the-box application of the code might fall into a grey area and simply not meet the prescription requirements of the code. As a result, most model codes allow for Alternate Means and Methods in order to provide an equivalent level of fire and life safety during building design, construction, and use. Many times, building code alternatives and equivalencies are combined with negotiations with the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ).
Fire protection systems can be active or passive. Active systems require interface and are typically thought of as fire sprinklers, fire alarms, gaseous clean agents, dry chemical, foam water, and standpipes. Passive fire protection systems consist of building safety systems that do not require any interface, such as fire/smoke rated barriers and walls, rated structural members, and opening protectives like doors and dampers. Projects are more likely to succeed when both active and passive systems work together. Design can be something as simple as a required design criteria narrative based on the building and hazards or fully detailed designs. Testing may include third-party acceptance, system commissioning, or developing test plans for building owners to self-perform.
A few examples are smoke exhaust systems, stair pressurization, elevator pressurization, high-rise floor pressurization, and passive systems. Smoke control design should consist of an engineering evaluation of the space geometry, use, and potential fire load. This information is incorporated into a smoke control design rational analysis which outlines the assumptions, design considerations, and performance criteria of the smoke control system. Calculations for smoke control design can be as simple as algebraic equations or as complex as Computational Fluid Dynamics modeling. Once a smoke control system is evaluated, designed, approved, and installed, most jurisdictions require a third-party special inspector to evaluate and test the installed system to ensure it meets the approved design and performance criteria set forth in the rational analysis.
Third-party review refers to when an engineer with expertise in the subject matter reviews designs or portions of a design for technical quality. Many times, performance-based designs or alternate means and methods fall outside the area of comfort for AHJ’s and they require a third-party review at the owner’s expense. providing problem-solving strategies.
CFD modelling enables us to understand the development and impact of fires on building designs. We use CFD techniques as a key component of our engineering toolbox to study the performance of a structure for various design scenarios in order to demonstrate that our performance-based solutions are optimized to meet the specific client design aspirations, while satisfying the functional requirements of building regulations.
When evaluating a space for tenable conditions, smoke must be defined and compared to calculated egress from the space. This can be utilized in conjunction with smoke exhaust, such as in an atrium or arena, or it can be used in large spaces without exhaust, as in a warehouse with inadequate prescriptive exiting. The goal is to illustrate that occupants have an available safe egress time (ASET) that exceeds the required safe egress time (RSET). In layman’ terms, the engineering analysis should show that people are able to exit the building before impacted by a fire. A few common tools are FDS, PathFinder, and algebraic calculations.
We use Computational Fluid Dynamics to test ideas and prototype options, to troubleshoot existing solutions and to add value to projects by exploring sensitivities and demonstrating an optimized design. Detecting problems, improving performance and identifying areas to reduce capital and running costs are valuable throughout the design process, from concept to detailed design.
About Us
MC24 Consultancy is an independent company who are passionate about engineering, service delivery and enjoying our work. Being independent, we are able to set our own priorities, which are to:
- Deliver a consistently high quality, high value service to our clients on every project.
- Remove fire related constraints and enable architectural intent and good design.
- Form proactive relationships with clients, design teams and other key stakeholders.
- Develop, support and reward our staff and create an enjoyable working environment.
- Innovate and solve technical challenges.
- Engage with academia and industry to ensure we are at the forefront of our discipline
Contact
- info@mc24.com.tr
- +36705547561
- +905445751722
-
1082 Corvin Setany
Budapest, Hungary