Fire protection guidance from BCSA

The British Constructional Steelwork Association (BCSA) has produced a new publication detailing how designers of constructional steelwork buildings can prove that their selection of steel as a safety-first solution is backed by a unique level of assurance. It is available as a free download at Steel Construction: Fire Protection and an accompanying CPD will be available in Building magazine’s December issue. 

With an increasing focus on the safety of buildings in fire following the Grenfell tragedy, the safety of buildings in fires now has to be proven from the earliest stage of construction, so the choice of materials will be dictated to a greater extent than before on their proven safety properties.

Steel is unique in the level of confidence it gives building owners, designers and builders, that their frame will meet the highest standards for safety in fire, backed by years of proven performance from full scale fire tests, as Steel Construction: Fire Protection explains. No alternative construction material is able to prove its fire performance qualities in this way.

Steel Construction: Fire Protection reminds architects, engineers and contractors of the exceptional performance of properly designed steel framed buildings in fires, and to outline how this is achieved, and how the benefits can be captured. Misconceptions may have arisen about how steel performs in real world fire, which should be dispelled when this publication is read and understood.

Companies failing to focus sufficiently on fire safety risk being banned from government contracts, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has told Parliament. The focus on safety can only increase, which is fully supported by the efforts of BCSA and its members over many years.

Steel Construction: Fire Protection explains that the process for determining fire protection requirements for structural steelwork is simple and straightforward, and how designing a fire-safe structure can use finite analysis as well as simpler calculation approaches.

Steel has strong inherent fire resistance qualities – even unprotected steelwork is usually deemed to have 15 minutes inherent fire resistance, but for higher resistance periods fire protection can be provided by either intumescent coating or board. Sophisticated fire engineering techniques that can be used on the most complex structures will have a higher profile following the final Grenfell Inquiry Report, that recommends Fire Engineering becomes a recognised profession with its own qualifications overseen by a new regulator, which would be supported by the steel sector.

There is a wealth of further detail about the proven performance of steel in fires and how fire engineering can help maximise building safety available on the free-to-use steelconstruction.info  website. All the information that designers need to confirm how careful design, selection of appropriate coatings and adherence to regulations can produce safe buildings can be found there.