PartB offers a range of fire engineering and fire safety related services across the UK and Ireland. These include fire engineering services such as the creation of FRAEW reports following the PAS 9980 or SAN guidance as applicable. We also offer expert service consultancy work, performance-based design, fire safety training, intrusive external wall investigation reviews, internal compartmentation survey works, FRM and more. Our clients include residents' associations, property and building managers as well as construction service companies. We understand that compliance isn’t 'one size fits all' so you'll find we solve problems creatively. Whatever consultancy service we're providing, we believe in doing it with transparency, innovation and ingenuity. Here, you’ll find a selection of case studies. We are always adding to our project portfolio, so if you have any questions regarding our more recent works, please do get in touch.
Private Residential Accommodation
Glasgow Persimmon
April 2023
Retrospective Fire Strategy
Remedial External Wall
Scottish Advice Note Assessment (SAN) Surveying Works
22 Turnbull Street is a seven-storey ashlar sandstone building in Glasgow, constructed in 1876. In the early 2000s, it went through a change of use and renovation to provide residential apartments, incorporating a central courtyard (lightwell) and ground-floor parking garage.
PartB was appointed to carry out an external wall assessment using the SAN as the base document. This highlighted the need for remediation works to be carried out. PartB's methodology is based on PAS 9980 Guidance and the Scottish Advice Note (SAN) PartB's approach to the SAN process is:
• Step 1 - Document Review - The documents relating to the building were reviewed to allow an understanding of the design and the arrangements
• Step 2 - Site Familiarisation - This was carried out in two parts, the first to confirm the access requirements for the intrusive investigation, and the second to allow the fire engineers to confirm the building arrangements (escape routes, smoke control, fire service access, etc )
• Step 3 - Intrusive Investigation - This confirms the build-ups of the walls and assesses the provision, suitability and adequacy of the cavity barriers
• Step 4 - Develop FRAEW Report - Based on the information provided and surveyed, the report is developed
This led to a retrospective fire strategy and GAP analysis PartB's approach to retrospective fire strategies is to confirm what is there and try to minimise the 'expected' and 'should be' by following a few steps:
• Step 1 - Review and Mark-Up Plans - the plans are reviewed to identify and determine the age of the building and what year it was built The plans are marked-up to highlight the expected fire resistance and fire strategy principles
• Step 2 - Site Visits - based on the mark-ups, intrusive survey is undertaken to confirm the compartment wall build-ups A fire engineer also attends site to assess the means of escape, fire service access and active fire safety systems.
• Step 3 - Fire Strategy - based on the visits and the determined design guidance at the time of build, the fire strategy is developed. This contains a GAP analysis which highlights recommendations to bring the building back up to the required standard for when it was built.
Fire Strategy
Fire Statement
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Modelling
Construction Support
Technical Design Report
External Wall Product Review
RIBA Stage 4 (and appointed for RIBA 5)
High-Rise Residential with Commercial Unit on Block A Ground Floor
PartB were appointed to provide fire engineering support for Kidbrooke Park Road South, a substantial high-rise residential development in Greenwich. This project involved the construction of eight blocks of purpose-built residential apartments (Blocks A-H), with a commercial unit on the ground floor of Block A.
There were a variety of heights and configurations for the blocks, including residential, commercial, cycle and refuse stores, plant space, open-plan flats, maisonettes and balcony approaches. These all required careful investigation to ensure they met required standards.
During the RIBA Stage 4 detailed design, PartB had to redesign Blocks A, BC and G to include a two-stair approach due to uncertainties within the industry, and to plan for future-proofing the buildings
PartB also conducted computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling for the mechanical smoke control system to demonstrate the appropriate performance for both means of escape and firefighting activities.
Our responsibilities included providing a RIBA Stage 4 Fire Strategy, a London Plan Fire Statement Report, a Technical Design Report on the external wall details, and RIBA Stage 5 construction support.
FRAEW Peer Review
Reclad support
Retrospective Fire Strategy
Merchants Quay is a waterside property consisting of two blocks, joined by walkways The ground floor is occupied by shop units (presently used as restaurants), while the upper floors are residential apartments.
The building consists of two blocks, joined by walkways on the first, second, third and fourth levels The height of the building is 17 8 metres while the height of the uppermost occupied storey is 14 56 metres On the first, second, and third floors, the apartments are single-storey. The fourth floor consists of duplex apartments. A stair links the ground and first floors at the north-east elevation. There is a separate stair linking the second, third, and fourth floors at the south-west elevation. A lift serves all floors up to the fourth floor at the south-east elevation
Residential
Gloucester
Crest Nicholson
May 2021
Merchants Quay is a waterside property consisting of two blocks, joined by walkways. The ground floor is occupied by shop units (presently used as restaurants), while the upper floors are residential apartments
PartB was approached to carry out an FRAEW as the building had an enforcement notice.
PartB liaised with the fire service to assess the items noted on the notice, which involved a peer review of the building's fire strategy and justifications used
PartB worked with the client and fire service to address the items and meet an agreeable solution.
PartB’s methodology was based on PAS 9980 Guidance PartB’s approach to the FRAEW process is:
• Step 1 - Document Review - The documents relating to the building were reviewed to allow an understanding of the design and the arrangements
• Step 2 - Site Familiarisation - This was carried out in two parts, the first to confirm the access requirements for the intrusive investigation, and the second to allow the fire engineers to confirm the building arrangements (escape routes, smoke control, fire service access, etc )
• Step 3 - Intrusive Investigation - This confirms the build-ups of the walls and assesses the provision, suitability and adequacy of the cavity barriers
• Step 4 - Develop FRAEW Report - Based on the information provided and surveyed, the report is developed
Retrospective, mixed-use, student accommodation
Nottingham TFT Consultants
June 2023
Reclad Support
FRAEW
Retrospective Fire Strategy
The Trinity Square development consists of two blocks, which are the 11-storey Shakespeare House (approx. 30 metres tall) and 6storey Milton House (approx. 21 metres tall). Both these buildings are mixed-use, they contain commercial units on the basements and first floors, carparks on the middle floors (Shakespeare House only) and student accommodation on the upper floors.
PartB was appointed to provide fire engineering support to the reclad works. This was in the form of carrying out a technical design review of the cladding contractor's proposed design, and then providing support throughout the remediation works.
PartB's approach to retrospective fire strategies is to confirm what is there and try to minimise the 'expected' and 'should be' by following a few steps.
• Step 1 Review and Mark-Up Plans - the plans are reviewed to identify and determine the age of the building and what year it was built. The plans are marked-up to highlight the expected fire resistance and fire strategy principles.
• Step 2 Site Visits - based on the mark-ups, intrusive survey is undertaken to confirm the compartment wall build-ups. A fire engineer also attends site to assess the means of escape, fire service access and active fire safety systems.
• Step 3 Fire Strategy - based on the visits and the determined design guidance at the time of build, the fire strategy is developed. This contains a GAP analysis which highlights recommendations to bring the building back up to the required standard for when it was built.
