I did research and arranged successful fire resistance tests to BS 476 conducted in the fire test laboratories in TNO Institute in Delft, Netherlands. Within the construction timescale it was not possible to get tests done in an accredited fire test lab in the UK in the late 1960s. All the floors in this 600ft (200m) high building ...
I was asked to give advice, as a specialist sub-consultant, on several features of a new 105 m high office tower with a restaurant at the top to be built on an existing reinforced concrete substructure after the superstructure was demolished. It was clearly a very important project and another fire consultant was earlier engaged by the developer to guide on general fire precautions.
The existing basement structure was a waffle slab with a nominal concrete cover of 25mm. The ...
This involved giving a second opinion on the refurbishment of existing 5th floor and the extension of office area to 6th floor and the addition of a roof garden. I gave input to the architect’s fire strategy report and attended meeting with LFEPA and building control mainly on the difficulties of upgrading one of the ...
The project would comprise a ground floor and five upper floors, the uppermost floor being 18.5m above ground level. A fire safety strategy had been prepared by Cundall Johnston and Partners in-house fire consultant. Their work proposed the following: design to be developed using BS 9999: 2008, with an A2 risk profile; no sprinklers would be installed; L2 AFD system proposed throughout; occupancy levels based on floorspace factor of 6 m2 per person, and travel distances and escape routes in ...
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This three-storey building was constructed in the mid 19th century as a brewery. It is very robust and structurally over-designed for its new speculative use which includes the upper storey as offices of variable size. It is approximately 120m long by 32m wide. The external walls are 70cm (27inches) thick. Circular hollow cast iron columns are ...
My inspection of the building undergoing refurbishment revealed several defects in the structural fire precautions: first, horizontal cavity fire barriers had not been installed in the service riser to prevent upwards fire spread, and this was regarded as a serious omission as the service riser was within the only staircase available for occupant escape from upper storeys. Fire which emanated in the riser (which contained electrical risks) or broke into it from the accommodation at a lower level could travel ...
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Doxford International office complex, Sunderland.
Advice and recommendations on the use of unprotected steel lintels.
Client: Aukett Associates, Architects and Engineers, London, 1996
GPO Office Building, Belfast.
Advice on drencher protection of external wall opposite Thompson’s Mill.
Client: Department of Finance, Belfast, 1977.
Chase Manhattan Bank, London.
Advice on effect of large bending moment on concrete-filled columns.
Client: Pell Frischmann & Partners, 1985
Dublin Bank, Irish Republic
I was asked to check the fire engineer’s calculations of fire severity and passive fire protection of external steel hangers supporting the floors. ...
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