ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL

SUSTAINABLE FIRE ENGINEERING DESIGN IN THE REAL WORLD

PRESENTED BY GEORGE FALLER

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

PROMOTING THE BENEFITS OF FE APPROACH

DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF SUSTAINABILITY NEEDS

REFLECTIVE LOOK AT APPARENT DICHOTOMIES

BROADLY AGREEABLE PRINCIPLES

• LOCAL DRIVERS OR TRENDS RESULT IN DIFFERENT

APPROACHES AND SOLUTIONS

GREEN BUILDINGS

SUSTAINABLE FIRE ENGINEERING IS SIMPLE …

MINIMISATION OF RESOURCES ...

• LOW EMBODIED ENERGY/RESOURCES

• LOW OPERATIONAL ENERGY

• LOW COSTS TO DEVELOPER/OCCUPIER/SOCIETY

FIRE ENGINEERING SUPPORTS THIS THROUGH...

• REDUCED PASSIVE PROTECTION

• REDUCED COMPARTMENTATION

• OPEN PLANNING ENABLING NATURAL VENTILATION

WE HAVE A PBD METHODOLOGY

• ALLOWS US TO LOOK AT THESE THINGS, AND MAINTAIN AN

ACCEPTABLE LEVEL OF SAFETY

IS THERE MORE TO IT THAN THAT ?

SUSTAINABLE FIRE ENGINEERING

AGREEABLE PRINCIPLES?

SUSTAINABILITY DEFINED

• CONDUCTING BUSINESS AND COMMERCE IN A MANNER

SUCH THAT OPERATIONS DO NOT COMPROMISE THE

ABILITY OF FUTURE GENERATIONS TO MEET THEIR OWN

NEEDS

DRIVERS FOR CHANGE

• WATER

• ENERGY

• WASTE

• DEMOGRAPHICS

• CLIMATE CHANGE

• URBANISATION

HOW SHOULD THE FIRE ENGINEER RESPOND TO THESE

CHANGES

• ISSUES TO CONSIDER FOR LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY

WHAT IS ‘SUSTAINABILITY’?

‘Chinese cities already face a water shortage of

6bnm3. Mexico City is sinking due to depletion of the

aquifer supplying 80% of their water.’WATER

DRIVERS FOR CHANGE

WATER BASED SUPPRESSION SYSTEMS

• SMALL FIRE

• REDUCED WASTE

• MORE SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION

REUSE / RE-CIRCULATE FIRE TEST WATER

• TEMPORARY STORAGE TANKS FOR MAINTENANCE

• RE-CIRCULATE

• NO DUMPING

MORE RELIABLE MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES

• REDUCE MAINTENANCE TEST PERIOD FROM WEEKLY TO

MONTHLY

REDUCED WATER PRESSURES IN TOWN MAINS

• OFTEN TO AVOID WASTE BY LEAKAGE

• WHAT IS THE EFFECT ON OUR SUPPRESSION SYSTEMS

‘Surveys indicate that people can be comfortable in

the workplace at up to 32 degrees, if they have

control. Air conditioned buildings are designed to

22-24 degrees.’

ENERGY

DRIVERS FOR CHANGE

NEED TO MINIMISE ENERGY USE

• OPERATIONAL NORMALLY THE FOCUS

• EMBODIED ALSO AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT

MOVE TOWARDS ZERO CARBON

• ZERO ENERGY FOR OPERATIONAL LIFE

• EMBODIED ENERGY MORE SIGNIFICANT

• RE-USE OF EXISTING BUILDINGS, CONVERT TO EFFICIENT

PERFORMERS

INDOOR AIR QUALITY

• NATURAL VENTILATION

• LESS COMPARTMENTATION,

• USE OF CEILING AND UNDER FLOOR PLENUMS

NATURAL LIGHT

• MORE USE OF GLAZING AND LOTS OF FLOOR VOIDS

DOUBLE SKIN FACADES

• FIRE AND SMOKE SPREAD CHALLENGE

WASTE

DRIVERS FOR CHANGE

BUILDING STRUCTURES AND FABRIC

• CENTURIES LONG LIFE-SPAN

FIT-OUT FOR ENVISAGED USE

• MUCH SHORTER TIME SPAN

• CAN WE DESIGN FOR MORE FLEXIBILITY?

RECYCLING/REUSING BUILDINGS OR COMPONENTS

• ADAPTABILITY IN DESIGN EG MODULAR DESIGN

• LOOSE FIT INTEGRATION OF ARCH, SERVICES

CODES AND CHANGE OF USE

• REQUIRE PLEASANT, ENERGY EFFICIENT SPACES

• ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY

• DON’T FOLLOW BLANKET PRESCRIPTIVE DESIGN

• MORE PERFORMANCE BASED DESIGN

USE OF MORE RENEWABLE MATERIALS

• TIMBER FOR HIGH RISE STRUCTURES

• HOW HIGH IS IT PRACTICAL TO GO?

‘1/3rd of UK waste is generated by construction,

demolition, excavation and refurbishment.’

‘The WHO estimates that the number of

obese people globally has risen from 200M

in 1995 to over 300M in 2005 ’

DEMOGRAPHICS

DRIVERS FOR CHANGE

AGING POPULATION, AGING WORKFORCE

• LOWER FITNESS AND MOBILITY – EGRESS

IMPLICATIONS?

INCREASING EXPECTATIONS FOR ACCESSIBILITY

• CODES FOCUS MORE ON ACCESSIBILITY - EGRESS

IMPLICATIONS?

• DOES ‘DEFEND IN PLACE’ NEED TO BE STRENGTHENED

TO COMPENSATE

HOW CAN TECHNOLOGY HELP TO OVERCOME

CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS

• TECHNOLOGY DEMAND

• INCREASINGLY DEPENDENCE ON TECHNOLOGY

• BMS MONITORING OF TEMPERATURE, HUMIDITY, CO?

• HEAT SIGNATURE DETECTION (OCCUPANT LOCATION)

• INCREASE DETECTOR SENSITIVITY OUT OF HOURS

• MONITORING FOR PRESENCE OF OCCUPANTS

INCREASING DEPENDENCY ON TECHNOLOGY

• HOW GOOD IS OUR DATA?

CLIMATE CHANGE

DESIGN FOR OTHER EMERGENCIES

• FLOODING, CYCLONE, TERRORISM ETC

• RISK BASED APPROACH TO DESIGN

INCREASING INSURANCE PREMIUMS

• MORE FOCUS ON RISK MINIMISATION

DAMAGE DUE TO FOAM AND GAS SUPPRESSANTS

• LIFETIME OF OZONE DEPLETING SUBSTITUTE

MATERIALS

FIRES ARE A FORM OF POLLUTION

• IMPROVE DETECTION

• IMPROVE SUPPRESSION

DRIVERS FOR CHANGE

‘Hurricane losses in the US in 2005 were $170bn.

Only 1/3rd were insured.’

‘Between 2001 and 2012 almost as many

skyscrapers will be constructed as were built in

the whole of the 20th Century’

URBANISATION

DRIVERS FOR CHANGE

TALLER BUILDINGS

• EFFECTIVE MEANS FOR EVACUATION AND FOR FIRE

FIGHTING

INCREASED DENSITY

• LIKELY DUE TO WORK PATTERN CHANGES

• HIGHER DEMAND FOR SPACE

• CHALLENGE FOR USE OF EXISTING BUILDINGS – IF

‘EFFICIENTLY’ DESIGNED THEN PBD WILL BE NEEDED

TO FIND MORE FLEXIBILITY

TECHNO-RELIANCE

• WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SYSTEMS NOT PROPERLY

SYNCHRONISED

• WHAT HAPPENS WHEN POWER FAILS

• DO WE HAVE ENOUGH REDUNDANCY?

3 WAYS TO LOOK AT SUSTAINABILITY

HOW DO WE ADDRESS THESE ISSUES IN OUR DESIGN

• ENVIRONMENTAL (INCLUDING NATURAL RESOURCES)

• WHAT MOST PEOPLE THINK OF WHEN THEY THINK ‘GREEN

BUILDINGS’

• SOCIAL

• RELATES TO THE COMMUNITY IN WHICH THE

DEVELOPMENT IS LOCATED

• DOES IT MEET PRESENT AND FUTURE NEEDS ?

• ECONOMIC

• SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL TARGETS CANNOT BE THE

ONLY CONSIDERATIONS

• DESIGN FEATURES NEED TO BE RATIONALISED TO MEET

ENVIRONMENT TARGET AND BE FEASIBLE ECONOMICALLY

• ARUP APPROACH

• CONSIDER SUSTAINABLE ISSUES UNDER THESE THREE

BROAD HEADINGS IN DESIGN

3 WAYS TO CONSIDER SUSTAINABILITY

ARUP’S APPROACH

ARUP APPROACH

• PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE

• SUSTAINABILITY DESIGN PLAN

• QUESTIONS POSED TO CLIENT BY DESIGN TEAM

• DOES THE PROJECT HAVE A SUSTAINABILITY COORDINATOR?

• ANY SPECIFIC ASPIRATIONS WITH RESPECT TO CARBON

NEUTRALITY?

• BUILDING TO BE SELF SUFFICIENT THROUGH THE COLLECTION

AND THE DEVELOPMENT BE CONSTRUCTED USING

SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS?

• WILL THE DEVELOPMENT SEEK TO MAKE A POSITIVE

CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMMUNITY AND THE BUILT

ENVIRONMENT?

• IS IT AN ASPIRATION THAT THE BUILDING BE SUSTAINABLE IN

OPERATION?

• TWO CASE STUDIES WITH SUSTAINABILITY DESIGN PLANS

• HORIZON HOUSE & UNIV SYDNEY LAW FACULTY

NEW MIXED USE COMMERCIAL/RESIDENTIAL BUILDING

• BREEAM 2006 OF 85.06%

• 2009 AWARD WINNER – OFFICE CATEGORY

LARGELY CODE COMPLIANT SOLUTION(!)

• NO SPRINKLERS

• SEPARATE OCCUPANT COMPARTMENTS

• FE ~ ESCAPE BASED ON REDUCED EXIT WIDTHS

SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY

• HAPPENED TO BE ADDRESSED FOLLOWING BREEAM

ENERGY EFFICIENCY WITH ADJOINING OCCUPANCIES?

• REMOVE COMPARTMENTATION

• POTENTIALLY ADD SPRINKLERS

GAIN SHARED BENEFIT OF

• SHARED ALARM SYSTEM, ESCAPE STAIRS

• EASIER FF ACCESS

• REDUCED MAINTENANCE OF SYSTEMS, ESCAPE STAIRS

• LESS INFRASTRUCTURE, OPERATING COSTS

HORIZON HOUSE – BREEAM EXCELLENT

CASE STUDIES

The result is an inner city office that achieved the

highest BREEAM rating in the country (85.06%) and

won the 2009 BREEAM award for offices

UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY LAW FACULTY

NEW STAFF AND TEACHING FACILITY, SYDNEY

• OPENNESS AND INTERCONNECTION: STAIRS AND VOIDS

• NATURALLY VENTILATED – FLOOR TO FLOOR

• EXCEEDED COMPARTMENTATION REQUIREMENTS

PERFORMANCE BASED APPROACH ADOPTED

• VERTICAL COMPARTMENTATION

• OPTIMISED SPRINKLER COVERAGE

• ENGINEERED USE OF NON-FR GLAZING

REDUCED, REDUCED, REDUCED

WHAT IF SEPARATE OCCUPANCIES WERE DESIRABLE?

• REMOVE SPRINKLERS, ADD COMPARTMENTATION

STRATEGY BECOMES

• LOSS OF BENEFIT OF;

• ALARM SYSTEM CO-ORDINATION

• SHARED ESCAPE STAIRS/ROUTES

• SEPARATE FF ACCESS

• INCREASED

• MAINTENANCE OF SYSTEMS

• ESCAPE STAIRS

CASE STUDIES

TWO PROJECTS

• HORIZON HOUSE LEEDS

• UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY LAW FACULTY

PROJECTS WITH CONTRASTING APPROACH

• BOTH PROVIDE SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS

• LIFE SAFETY IS MAINTAINED FOR BOTH

TO DELIVER SOCIAL BENEFIT MORE MAY BE NEEDED

• SOCIAL LEVEL

• DAY TO DAY INTERACTION IN BUILDINGS

• SOCIETAL LEVEL

• PROVISION OF ADAPTABLE/FUTURE-PROOF BUILDINGS

• MAINTENANCE OF LIFE SAFETY

• PARAMOUNT IN BOTH ABOVE EXAMPLES

HEREIN LIES THE DICHOTOMY WE FACE, BALANCING

• ECONOMIC/ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

• BOTH LONG AND SHORT TERM SOCIAL BENEFIT

CASE STUDY COMPARISON

CASE STUDIES

BUT ALL ASPECTS CAN BE BALANCED….

NEW 8 LEVEL TENANCY IN EXISTING BUILDING

• PERFORMANCE BASED APPROACH ADOPTED

• EXCEEDED COMPARTMENTATION LIMITATIONS

STRATEGY

• ACTIVE COMPARTMENTATION

• VERTICAL & HORIZONTAL FIRE CURTAINS

• 2-STOREY COMPARTMENTS UPON DETECTION

MULTIPLE SUSTAINABLE OBJECTIVES ACHIEVED

• SOCIETAL (KEY TO CLIENT)

• ENVIRONMENTAL (THROUGH VENTILATION/LIGHT)

• ECONOMIC

• MINOR INCREASE (ACTIVE COMPARTMENTATION)

• ADDED VALUE, RETURN ON INVESTMENT

INCREASED COST OUTWEIGHED BY MEETING ALL

CRITERIA

• BALANCING EXERCISE NEEDS TO BE QUANTIFIED

STOCKLAND HEADQUARTERS

CASE STUDIES

ARUP VIEW

ARUP VIEW

• SUSTAINABILITY IS THE CORNERSTONE

• BECOMING OBVIOUS THAT MORE HOLISTIC APPROACH TO

DESIGN IS NECESSARY

• A NEW CRITERION FOR ALL DESIGN DECISIONS

• STRUCTURAL ENGINEER CAN’T JUST CONSIDER STRENGTH

• FIRE ENGINEER ALSO NEEDS TO TAKE BROAD VIEW

• MULTI-FACETED, SOMETIMES COMPETING CRITERIA

• ARUP APPROACH TO INTEGRATED DESIGN BECOMES

ESSENTIAL - THE ENGINEER AS DESIGNER

• CODES AND OPTIMAL SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS

• PRESCRIPTIVE CODES CAN´T PROVIDE ANSWERS

• ESSENTIAL TO EXPLORE ALL ALTERNATIVES – PBD

• RESEARCH NEEDED TO COMPLEMENT PBD SOLUTIONS

THE CHALLENGES AHEAD

• FE DESIGN WILL BE AFFECTED BY A CHANGING

WORLD

• DRIVERS OF CHANGE – NEW DESIGN CRITERIA

• INFLUENCING POLICY MAKERS

• PROPERLY FUNCTIONING PBD APPROVALS PROCESS IN

PLACE

• SUSTAINABLE FIRE SAFETY OPTIONS RECOGNISED IN

LEED, BREEAM, ETC SCORING SYSTEMS

• RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT SHORTFALL

• FE COMMUNITY NEEDS TO ADVANCE OUR TECHNICAL

UNDERSTANDING OF SUSTAINABILITY

• NEED TO BE ABLE TO QUANTIFY WHETHER OPTION A IS

MORE SUSTAINABLE THAN OPTION B

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES AHEAD

THANK YOU.

QUESTIONS ?