FOCUS
Telling times What is the passage of time teaching us
about different and complex buildings? We asked Bill Jones to give us his thoughts An alternative aim is that of property
in a multitude of different ways. There is no easy definition of ‘different and complex’ as, at a basic level, the modern industrial unit could be described as completely different from a factory of the late 1800s – and numerous examples of these still exist. For this article therefore, all larger buildings can be considered, but it is likely that the focus will be on those constructed from the late 1950s to today, including those still just an idea on paper. Over this period designers, technology and the construction industry have evolved to allow taller buildings to be erected, basements to go deeper, podiums and atria to be used, and the size of fl oor footprints to increase. Also, the materials have altered to improve the sustainability, thermal effi ciency and environmental credentials of the completed buildings for their lifetime use. All this has happened using legislation – the Building Regulations – which solely consider life safety within the completed building. A variant of these regulations, an engineered solution, exists to achieve the intent of the regulations without strictly following them.
O 12 JULY/AUGUST 2018
www.frmjournal.com
VER THE decades, a large stock of buildings of various designs and materials have developed that are used
insurers, whose ambition is to achieve an enhanced set of standards that provide more resilience for the structure and the business operating from it in the event of a fi re. These property protection requirements are included within Approved Document B of the Building Regulations, but they are considerably more complex to fulfi l when other factors are taken into account.
Changes in contents
One of the major changes that affects every building in the time frame being considered is the ‘fuel’ that is now available to support a fi re. The contents of buildings have seen a transition from timber and metal based furniture, natural fi bre based fl oor coverings and generally carbon based materials to those using plastics and man made fibres. The outcome in broad terms is a fiercer, faster developing fi re that produces toxic smoke and gases, presenting increased hazards to the occupants and attending fi refi ghters, and resulting in greater damage to the fabric of the building. In addition, more consideration is given to the environment. This is partly driven by the
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64
