46
STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS; EXTERNAL ENVELOPE
certifi cates, installation records, technical data sheets, warranties and photographic evidence of completed work.
Documentation Image courtesy of James Hardie
Fire safety requirements will continue to become more detailed, more evidence-led and more closely scrutinised
The instinct to treat compliance paperwork as an administrative task saved for the end of a project is no longer viable. Evidence of what has been installed, how and by whom is now central to how higher-risk building projects are managed and approved. This has a practical consequence for how facade contractors approach procurement and installation. Early engagement with manufacturers and technical teams, before products are ordered, before details are fi xed, before work begins onsite, reduces the risk of substitutions, queries and delays later in the programme. It also creates a cleaner paper trail from the outset. For installers, one of the most important principles is that a product’s fi re classifi cation does not automatically mean the whole facade is compliant. Overall performance depends on the complete construction, how products interact and whether installation refl ects tested or assessed details. Cavity barriers, movement joints,
penetrations, fi xings and ventilation gaps all require proper attention. Cutting corners in any of these areas can undermine the intention of the specifi cation, regardless of how well the primary cladding product specifi ed performs.
Manufacturers have a signifi cant role to play here. Clear technical guidance, tested product data, installation instructions and accessible project support help contractors make better decisions and reduce risk. From September 2026, updated Approved Document B guidance will recommend more than one common stair in HRBs, alongside provisions to support evacuation lifts. This is primarily a design- stage matter but it will have downstream consequences, affecting stair cores, escape routes, protected shafts, lobbies and the points where the external envelope meets the wider building design.
The regulatory direction is clear and it is not going to reverse. Fire safety requirements will continue to become more detailed, more evidence-led and more closely scrutinised.
Simon Buckmaster is operations & technical manager at James Hardie
WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK
ADF SEPTEMBER 2026
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