Engineering judgements

The right conclusion for any fire safety conundrum will always depend on the building in its entirety. Our experts take into account its construction, height, use, occupancy, compartmentation, fire strategy, and existing fire safety measures to understand the bigger picture of how a particular detail or proposed variation fits within the wider risk profile.

The ‘unknown’ is one of the biggest challenges when assessing buildings. Where information is missing or an exact construction detail has not been tested, we establish what evidence is available and what it can reasonably tell us. This can involve reviewing drawings, specifications, previous assessments, and test data, alongside targeted investigation where the building itself holds the answers.

Fire safety guidance provides recognised routes to compliance, but it is wise to remember it cannot account for every building or circumstance. Our engineers understand where prescriptive guidance applies and, more importantly, where its limitations are and the point at which a performance-based or engineering approach is more appropriate.

A defect will not tell you the whole risk story – the issue must be considered in the context of the building as a whole, covering, for example, its height, occupancy levels, use, evacuation strategy, and existing fire protection. Meanwhile, the people inside the building must be considered too – their needs, vulnerability, and ability to respond in an emergency can influence and fundamentally change the level of risk and the action needed.

We do not simply identify issues. We work through why it presents such a risk and what can realistically be done about it, considering available options before recommending the right intervention needed to bring the risk to a tolerable level. 

An engineering judgment is a professional opinion, but it needs to be more than a recommendation alone. We document all evidence considered and the rationale behind our conclusion, building out your roadmap to compliance and a clear, technical record that can be understood and relied upon by the wider project team.