NEWS
Spate of fires calls for
rational design
A recent series of high-profile building fires highlights the need
for rational design of performance-based fire-safety systems,
according to ASP Fire chief executive officer Michael van Niekerk.
In the event of a fire, a minor design flaw in a building can potentially place property and lives at risk.
O
n 4 September this year, a
devastating fire ripped through
the Hilton Court apartments in
Eastleigh in Johannesburg, while on the
same day the Heartfelt Arena in Thaba
Tshwane in Pretoria was damaged
extensively after a fire broke out. The
following day there was a deadly blaze at
the Gauteng Health Department building in
the Johannesburg CBD.
It’s important to highlight that all buildings
in South Africa need to comply with the
requirements of the National Building
Regulations and Building Standards Act, 1977
(Act No. 103 of 1977), Fire Protection, as set
out in SANS 10400 Part T: 2011, points out
ASP Fire CEO Michael van Niekerk.
“Rational design takes into account the
behaviour of a building during a fire,
meaning the structure must be designed
accordingly, thereby minimising any
potentially devastating impact,” Van
Niekerk explains.
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NOVEMBER 2018
CLADDING // CONCRETE // INSULATION // STEEL // THATCH // TIMBER // TRANSLUCENT // WATERPROOFING // COMPONENTS
A rational design is the performance-based
design of fire safety and prevention
mechanisms and strategies in a building in
order to provide the same or better fire
safety levels as prescribed in the National
Building Regulations.
A rational design commences with a fire-
risk consultant visiting the premises, or
reviewing a set of new building plans, to
undertake a comprehensive evaluation of
all areas of the property to inspect all areas
of fire safety and risk in detail.
Correct and proper fire-engineering
principles are applied to ensure that the
design complies with the life, building, fire
behavioural and environmental fire safety
objectives as required by law. According
to Van Niekerk, the three main causes of
fire are electrical, arson and
heating equipment.
Upon completion of the fire-risk
assessment and drafting the rational design
report, the client is provided with practical
actions to implement. The report comprises
a detailed and documented objective fire-
risk assessment, as well as fire-engineering
calculations and analysis where required,
covering all aspects of fire risk and safety.
“This guides the client in protecting its
business, employees, and customers by
providing prioritised recommendations for
action, to rectify problem areas and
strengthen existing fire-safety procedures.
This also ensures that the client complies
with fire-safety regulations for the
protection of life, property and the
environment,” Van Niekerk elaborates.
He notes that ASP Fire works closely
with insurance brokers and underwriters to
address a client’s fire risk based on the
outcomes of the fire-safety risk assessment
report. This assists in preventing damage
to property and products, loss of life,
financial loss, consequential loss of
profit, loss of productivity and
insurance repercussions.
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