Fire Protection for Cold Storage
Fueled by evolving logistics for perishable goods and pharmaceuticals, organizations are under much pressure to meet growing demand for cold storage facilities. Cold storage warehouses face all the fire safety challenges of traditional warehouses with the added complexity of significantly reduced (sometimes freezing) temperatures. Our experienced team of fire protection engineers work with project stakeholders to understand objectives and make informed fire protection decisions. For example, refrigerated warehouses have some of the greatest energy uses per square foot of all commercial facilities. We leverage fire and egress modeling to demonstrate the ineffectiveness of smoke and heat vents (as required in accordance with building and fire codes) in refrigerated environments and justify an alternative means of compliance to prescriptive codes that better align with stakeholder objectives for refrigeration efficiency. Our performance-based alternatives for cold storage meet or exceed code requirements and increase operational efficiencies.
Fire Protection for Aircraft Hangars & Aviation
With some of the highest value assets to protect, the fire protection design of aircraft hangars is critical. Our team of experienced fire protection engineers work with the owners, airport, local jurisdiction, insurer, maintenance team, design team and other stakeholders to ensure that all objectives are taken into consideration. We leverage our advanced knowledge of developing codes and standards (NFPA 409), along with our standing relationships with NFPA, FMG and local jurisdictions to prepare comprehensive performance-based designs when the prescriptive codes are not enough. From high-expansion foam systems to ignitable liquid drainage floor assemblies (ILDFAs) we have the custom fire protection solution to protect your asset.
Fire Protection for Factory Mutual Global (FMG)
FM Global provides commercial property insurance. Through centuries of experience, they have developed supplementary design standards (FMG Data Sheets) which go above and beyond the base requirements of local building and fire codes. Our licensed fire protection engineers partner with building owners, architects, and MEP engineers to ensure FMG design requirements are incorporated into the design of fire protection systems.
Fire Protection for Military Facilities (UFC)
Our nation’s most critical facilities require our nation’s most experienced fire protection engineering team. Our team of licensed fire protection engineers have experience providing engineering services for projects from aircraft hangars, barracks, office buildings, munitions facilities and other mission critical facilities for the Navy, Airforce and Army on military bases throughout the world. We provide Quality Fire Protection Engineering (QFPE) and Fire Protection Quality Control (FPQC) Specialist services as required by the Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC) and Whole Building Design Guide (WBDG) specifications. The fire protection engineer (FPE) serves the important role of ensuring that fire suppression, mass notification, and life safety egress and construction elements are designed in accordance with adopted design standards and military base specific requirements. The typical role of the FPE includes plan review, field inspections and witnessing of final acceptance testing. We partner with MEP, architectural, and general contractor teams to fulfill specific roles or indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts.
Fire Protection for General Services Administration (GSA)
The GSA is responsible for the procurement and asset management of federal real estate necessary to conduct government activities. GSA requirements for fire protection engineering expertise and project involvement are strict (SF330 qualifications). The GSA places much emphasis on providing effective and efficient services and this theme resonates through their fire protection design criteria. The use of performance-based design and alternative means that demonstrate equivalency or superiority are encouraged by the GSA. Our team of licensed fire protection engineers understand the importance of finding value in engineering. We use advanced fire and egress modeling techniques to demonstrate performance and compliance. The result – effective and efficient fire protection engineering solutions.
Fire Protection for High Rise Buildings
Highrise buildings pose some of the most challenging conditions for fire and life safety – increased egress times, travel distances and occupant loading, limited fire department accessibility, and propensity of vertical smoke movement are all contributing factors. Highrise buildings have become a core pillar of urban development, largely due to higher housing density at lower cost. With the increasing housing demand vertical construction is sure not to slow down. Our fire protection and life safety narratives provide a custom road map to code compliance for your next highrise project. Let our team of licensed fire protection engineers ensure that none of the unique requirements for highrise construction are overlooked: construction types, occupancy classifications, mixed occupancies, means of egress, standoff distances, smoke control, fire suppression and alarm, bi-directional amplifiers (BDA) systems, emergency lighting, backup power requirements and more.
Fire Protection for Storage & Warehouses
Due to the presence of large quantities of goods which are densely confined within storage warehouses, fires in these occupancies can grow rapidly causing loss of product and stoppage of operations. Our expert fire protection engineers specialize in working with project stakeholders (owners and developers, insurance providers, facility managers, fire and building code officials, architects, contractors, and other engineers) to understand facility objectives and develop custom solutions that directly meet those needs. Where prescriptive building and fire codes fall short, we have a performance-based solution. We pride ourselves in striking a balance between providing adequate fire protection and understanding the economic impact of these decisions.
Fire Protection for Universities & Laboratories
Hazardous and flammable chemicals are commonplace for laboratories. Determining an appropriate fire protection strategy is critical for mitigating the risk of fire and the safety of occupants. Our team of licensed fire protection engineers helps you navigate requirements of NFPA 45, Standard on Fire Protection for Laboratories Using Chemicals, The International Fire Code (IFC), The International Building Code (IBC), The Department of Education (DOE), The American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), and Factory Mutual Global (FMG) to prepare a resilient fire protection strategy that encompasses all aspects of fire and life safety. We support our clients by providing code analysis, maximum allowable quantities (MAQ) analysis and fire protection hazard analysis.
Fire Protection for Prisons & Correctional Facilities
We understand that security is a top operational consideration in detention, correctional and lockups facilities. The presence of restrained occupants makes these types of facilities unique from an egress perspective and introduces uncommon motives for incendiary fires. Operational procedures and system integrations are of the utmost importance in protecting these facilities. We work with design teams to develop strategies that commensurate the false dichotomy between security and fire safety. Our team of specialized fire protection engineers approach fire safety as an integrated subsystem of building design, construction, and operation so that the result is a building that functions in accordance with its predetermined performance objectives. We utilize fire and egress modeling to evaluate the effectiveness of smoke control systems, compartmentalization, and lock automation to determine defend-in-place and phased evacuation strategies that satisfy fire safety and security objectives.
Fire Protection for Prisons & Correctional Facilities
We understand that security is a top operational consideration in detention, correctional and lockups facilities. The presence of restrained occupants makes these types of facilities unique from an egress perspective and introduces uncommon motives for incendiary fires. Operational procedures and system integrations are of the utmost importance in protecting these facilities. We work with design teams to develop strategies that commensurate the false dichotomy between security and fire safety. Our team of specialized fire protection engineers approach fire safety as an integrated subsystem of building design, construction, and operation so that the result is a building that functions in accordance with its predetermined performance objectives. We utilize fire and egress modeling to evaluate the effectiveness of smoke control systems, compartmentalization, and lock automation to determine defend-in-place and phased evacuation strategies that satisfy fire safety and security objectives.
Fire Protection for the Veterans Affairs (VA)
Our licensed fire protection engineers are well versed in the specific requirements of the US Department of Veteran Affairs Fire Protection Design Manual. Through our long experience in partnering with MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) engineering and architectural teams we have become adept at providing fire protection and life safety engineering and consulting services at the elevated standard of the VA. We understand the critical junction point between nationally adopted codes, local jurisdictions, and VA specifications. We leverage this knowledge to deliver resilient fire protection designs.
Fire Protection for Themed Entertainment Facilities
We understand that the customer experience is key. Every visitor must be transported to a magical place where memories are created that last a lifetime. We also understand that fire protection equipment and prescriptive code requirements can ruin the magic. Through our deep knowledge and understanding of building codes and fire safety objectives, we develop custom solutions so that each element of the facility can be used just as imagined. From each attraction to every BOH space in between, our team of specialized fire protection engineers work with project stakeholders to develop unique fire protection and life safety solutions.
Fire Protection for Hospitals & Healthcare
Healthcare facilities encompass a wide range of business operations designed to support human wellbeing by connecting patients with care providers. Many of these facilities contain occupants which are assumed to be limited or incapable of self-preservation, which makes these occupancies especially challenging from a fire protection and life safety perspective. In addition, healthcare facilities are heavily regulated by organizations such as The Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) and the Joint Commission for licensure and federal funding. Our team of specialized healthcare fire protection engineers assist healthcare facility and program managers with life safety Statement of Conditions (SOC). We also work with architects and engineers in the fire protection and life safety planning, development and design of new hospitals and healthcare facilities in accordance with NFPA 99, Healthcare Facilities Code, NFPA 101, Life Safety Code and other standards and design guidelines.
Fire Protection for Historic Buildings
Most fire protection concessions and exceptions are made for historic buildings, which ironically, are also the most irreplaceable. Our professional fire protection engineers work with project stakeholders to understand the history and make informed fire safety decisions that preserve the history. We leverage the advanced technologies of fire and egress modeling to determine which aspects of fire safety have the greatest impact, and therefore should be prioritized and incorporated into a holistic approach to fire protection. Our performance-based design approaches are in accordance with NFPA 914, Code for Fire Protection of Historic Structures.
Fire Protection for Assisted-Living Facilities (ALFs)
Residents of assisted living facilities may be at the greatest risk of injury or death by fire according to studies by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Our team of licensed fire protection engineers help mitigate these risks by ensuring code compliance throughout renovations, conversions, or new construction. Don’t risk fire code citations, losing Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) funding or worse case, forfeiting licensure.
Fire Protection for Residential Occupancies
Over 80% of fire deaths occur where people feel most safe – in their homes. Commercial residential occupancies, such as hotels, condos and apartments are subject to regular inspection and are therefore more likely to maintain appropriate levels of fire protection and life safety. One of the largest challenges plaguing the fire protection community are illegal conversions from single to multifamily housing. Let our team of experienced fire protection engineers help you navigate the building code and develop a plan for apartment or condo conversions. We work with property managers, real estate investors, and developers to strike a balance between adequate levels of life safety and feasibility. Let’s face it, sometimes the building code requirements are just not flexible enough and impose excessive economic hardship. Our performance-based approach relies on fire and egress modeling techniques to demonstrate the impact of life safety systems. This allows fire marshals and building code officials to evaluate alternative approaches by visualizing the results and allows building owners the flexibility to select a feasible solution.
Fire Protection for Museums
Artwork is special. It’s irreplaceable. How can you share these one-of-a-kind expressions of human emotion and ideas with all to see while at the same time ensuring protection from fire? Trust our licensed fire protection engineers to perform a risk assessment that guides the creation and implementation of a custom fire protection plan to protect high-value collections. We utilize fire and egress modeling as a basis for fire protection decisions. This approach allows us to identify the most effective strategies and directly meet design objectives.
Fire Protection for Arenas & Sports Venues
Occupant safety is one of the main objectives of any fire protection strategy. This becomes more challenging with arenas and sports venues which contain some of the highest and most dense occupant loading of any occupancy type. Our fire protection engineers work with design teams and program managers to understand the various types of events that are held at the facility and develop a life safety evaluation (LSE) in accordance with NFPA 101, Life Safety Code. Large volume spaces, such as arenas, depend on smoke control as primary means to maintaining tenability for occupants during a fire scenario. We utilize fire dynamics simulator (FDS), a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation software to design the most efficient smoke control systems. Smoke control, along with fire suppression, and mass notification systems make up the key pillars of a fire protection strategy.
Fire Protection for Transportation
Tunnels, bridges, and elevated/underground rail systems pose unique fire safety challenges. Dynamic fuel and occupant loading, lack of compartmentation and limited fire department access are the primary contributing factors which make this occupancy especially challenging. Our team of fire protection engineers utilize advanced fire and egress simulation software to develop a customized approach to fire safety. Fire and egress modeling allows for evaluation and visualization of various fire protection approaches to determine the most effective and efficient approach for fire detection, fire suppression and smoke control. This data in conjunction with code mandated requirements serve as the basis for the development of fire safety narratives and specifications.
Fire Protection for Tall Mass Timber (TMT) Construction
Demand for more economical, eco-conscious, and faster building construction has led to the evolution of mass timber construction. Mass timber construction including glue-laminated timber (glulam), cross-laminated timber (CLT), laminated veneer lumber (LVL), and nail-laminated timber (NLT) is not necessarily a new idea, and its application and use as a construction material is becoming more widespread. The use of a combustible material as a primary construction material comes with many fire protection challenges. Our team of licensed fire protection engineers can assist in navigating these challenges through the development of a fire protection strategy that mitigates risk to occupants, fire fighters and property.
Fire Protection for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)
Rapid advancement in battery technology (LFP, NMC, NiCad, Lead Acid) and progressive government incentives for green energy have accelerated the demand for battery energy storage systems throughout the country. Codes and standards of BESS, including NFPA 855, UL9540A and new guidance in the International Fire Code (IFC), are in the early development phase and contain generally objective-based guidelines left for engineer of record (EOR) and authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) interpretation. That is where our team of specialized fire protection engineers thrive. We utilize advanced fire modeling techniques to pioneer unique design approaches for this emerging technology. We assist with the preparation of Hazard Mitigation Analysis (HMA), Hazard Consequence Analysis (HCA), and Emergency Response Plan (ERP).
Fire Protection for Convention Centers
Large open spaces with dynamic fuel loading and high occupancy put convention centers at risk for a catastrophic fire. Partner with our fire protection engineering team to develop a resilient fire protection strategy that maximizes the usefulness of your space.
Fire Protection for Theaters & Stages
As for most commercial spaces in the built environment, fire safety is usually not at the forefront of one’s concern. There is an understanding and trust in the system that the places we visit are safe for enjoyment. This theme is especially true for theaters, where providing the audience with an enjoyable experience is the lifeblood. Our fire protection engineering team takes pride in pioneering fire safety strategies so that the audience’s intuition is fruition. Certain fire code requirements, such as heat vents for stage exhaust and fire curtains to protect proscenium openings are based on primitive approaches. We utilize advanced fire and egress modeling techniques to demonstrate fire safety and develop alternative approaches that maximize the usefulness of these spaces.
Fire Protection for Churches & Places of Worship
Churches and places of worship are considered assembly occupancies, defined by NFPA 101, Life Safety Code, as a place where people gather and conduct activities. Like arenas, theaters and other entertainment venues, churches experience high occupant loading. Building codes and fire codes contain stringent requirements for the life safety design of these facilities. Our licensed fire protection engineers provide guidance throughout the design of these facilities to ensure no surprises during permit submittal and construction. We work with ownership and design teams to identify value engineering opportunities and overcome building code roadblocks.
