performance solutions – ensuring design success

Performance Solutions – Ensuring Design SuccessDr Weng Poh – Principal Fire Safety Engineer

24 March 2021

Previous webinars on Performance Solutions

PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

PERFORMANCESOLUTION

DEEMED-TO-SATISFYSOLUTION

and/or

Compliance Level

Compliance Solutions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1783fAmRfM https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/

Outline – Performance Solutions

• This webinar - graphical presentation• High level overview, little texts, no equations

• Background - back in time• what, why, development• success, failure

• Masterclass – ensuring success• Balance, Coverage, Assumptions• traps, tips, tricks (how)

• What’s coming up (1 July)

• Q&A

Performance Solutions

• Introduced into BCA 25 years ago

• Also known as:• Engineering solution

• Fire Engineering approach

• Risk assessment approach

• Alternative Solution (BCA96)

• etc

NB: in this webinar, the term BCA will be used throughout including reference to the current NCC

prescriptive

approachfire-engineering

approach

Deemed-to-Satisfy

Solution

Alternative

Solution

Were there Performance Solutions before 1996?

Late 1980s – Carpark designs

• Fire testing: open-deck carpark

side wallshalf open

concrete wallpanel

dead load

test vehicle

compositefloor slab

KWP 12/98

bare steelbeam

bare steelcolumn


• Fire testing: closed carpark


• Fire testing: partially open carpark

test vehicle

concrete wallpanel

partially open

composite floor slabinsulated

steel panel

simulatedoffice enclosure

KWP 12/98

bare steelbeam

bare steelcolumn


• Fire testing: carpark in multi-classified building

concrete wallpanel

composite floor slabinsulated

steel panel

office enclosure

KWP 12/98

bare steelbeam

bare steelcolumn

Research Outcome – adoption of Fire Engineering Solutions as DTS Provisions• BCA Specification C1.1

• Carparks - Clauses 3.9, 4.2 and 5.2

• Protection for support of another part - Clause 2.2

Early 1990s - 140 William Street

• Removal of asbestos fire protection to steel structures

• Full-scale fire tests (unprotected steel beams and floor slabs)

• Comprehensive risk assessment

• Building Referee Board (modification)

• international attention – fire test and fire engineering approach

Two distinct approaches

• Carparks• Fire tests and analyses

• BCA pathway

• Adopted as DTS standard solution

• 140 William Street• Fire tests and analyses

• Building Referee Board pathway

• A unique special solution

Around the same time… Warren Centre Project – Fire Safety and Engineering (1989)• Fire safety design = engineering responsibility

• Current fire safety levels to be maintained

• Development of risk-based models

• Fire engineering research, development, education, training

1991 - Building Regulation Review –Microeconomic Reform• Fire safety in Buildings

– Risks and Costs

• Existing Regulatory Approach

• Achievement of Reform

• Risk Assessment Approach

• National Fire Safety Code

1994 Fire Code Reform Centre (FCRC) Projects

• Project 1 Re-structure BCA Fire Provisions

• Project 2 Fire Performance of Materials

• Project 3 Fire Resistance and Non-combustibility

• Project 4 Fire Safety Design Solutions

• Project 5A Fire Engineering Guidelines

• Project 5B Fire Safety Design Code

• Project 6 Fire Safety for Sprinklered, Low-rise Shopping Centres

https://www.abcb.gov.au/Resources/Publications/Research/...

Fire Safety System and Sub-systems - FEG 1996 (superseded)

Fire safetysystem

SS-1 Fire Initiation & Development

SS-2 Smoke Development & Management

SS-3 Fire Spread & Management

SS-4 Detection & Suppression

SS-5 Occupant Avoidance

SS-6 Fire Brigade Communication & Response

https://www.abcb.gov.au/Resources/Publications/Research/FCRC-Fire-Engineering-Guidelines

Fire Safety System and Sub-systems– IFEG 2005 (current)

Fire safetysystem

SS-A Fire Initiation & Development & Control

SS-B Smoke Development & Spread & Control

SS-C Fire Spread & Impact & Control

SS-D Fire Detection, Warning & Suppression

SS-E Occupant Evacuation & Control

SS-F Fire Services Intervention

https://www.abcb.gov.au/Resources/Publications/Education-Training/International-Fire-Engineering-Guidelines

Fire Safety System and Sub-systems– AFEG 2021 (to be released by ABCB)

Fire safetysystem

SS-A Fire Initiation, development & Control

SS-B Smoke Development, Spread & Control

SS-C Fire Spread, Impact & Control

SS-D Fire Detection, Warning & Suppression

SS-E Occupant Evacuation & Control

SS-F Fire Services Intervention

1995 – Planning for implementation of Performance BCA in Victoria• FCRC outputs

• Performance based BCA

• Education and training

• Other implementation aspects

BCA 1996 – Performance Code

prescriptiveapproach

fire-engineeringapproach

Deemed-to-SatisfySolution

AlternativeSolution

Now, 25 years on…

• Success?

• Failure?

• Building Confidence Report (BRC)

• Warren Center Report (Mk II) Fire Safety Engineering

• ABCB BRC implementation

• Time to reflect and move further forward

Success

• Flexibility - many modern buildings would not be possible without performance solutions

• Cost savings – total national benefits = $1.1 billion/year

https://www.abcb.gov.au/Resources/Publications/Corporate/The-CIE-Report-Benefits-of-building-regulatory-reform

Observed Failure

• VBA audits and inspections (review of fire engineering reports):• DTS departures not identified and not addressed

• DTS departures identified not properly addressed

• DTS departures addressed in isolation – leaving related departure not addressed

• Building construction inconsistent with the fire engineering reports

2018 Building Confidence Report (BCR)

• Review of construction industry generally (not Performance Solutions specifically)

• 24 recommendations including:• 14 – documentation of Performance Solutions

• 15 – approval of Performance Solutions

https://www.industry.gov.au/data-and-publications/building-confidence-building-ministers-forum-expert-assessment

Warren Centre Project – Fire Safety Engineering (Mk II)

8 reports:1. Education

2. Regulation

3. Roles

4. Methods

5. Competencies

6. Professional Development

7. Accreditation

8. Final

30 recommendations

https://www.sydney.edu.au/content/dam/corporate/documents/faculty-of-engineering-and-information-technologies/industry-and-government/the-warren-centre/the-final-report-fire-safety-engineering-the-warren-centre.pdf

2020 ABCB BCR Implementation program

• Development of National Framework

• Various discussion papers issued

https://www.abcb.gov.au/Resources/Publications/Corporate/public-report-delivery-of-the-bcr-national-framwork-may-2020

Back to Basics – Performance Design

• What are the objectives?

• How are objectives to be achieved?

• Pressure points:

• Balance

• Coverage

• Assumptions

Q1: What must buildings designed to achieve in terms of fire safety? • BCA Objectives:

• BO1

• CO1

• DO1

• EO1, EO2, EO3, EO4

• FO1, FO2, FO3, FO4, FO5, FO6

• GO1, GO2, GO3, GO4, GO5

• JO1

Summary of BCA Fire Safety Objective

avoid spread/ damageto other buildings

occupantsafety

facilitatefire fighting

Q2: How objectives to be achieved?

Performance and/or DTS Solution

Performance Requirements

Functional Statements

Objective

• Objectives captured in relevant Performance Requirements

• Satisfying the Performance Requirements = Satisfying Objective

GuidanceLevel

ComplianceLevel

What level of safety do we design buildings to achieve? • Warren Centre Report 1989, Recommendation 1:

“the current levels of fire safety in Australia should be maintained”

• BCA2019 Schedule 7, Section 1.1:“The level of safety achieved by the building design must be at least equivalent to the relevant Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions.”

What does this mean?

PERFORMANCESOLUTION


balance

Common problem observed(from audits and inspections)

PERFORMANCESOLUTION


• Increased travel distance• Reduced stairways• Reduce fire protection• Reduced FRL• Etc

balance

Solution – a general principle

PERFORMANCESOLUTION


• What is removed must be properly balanced by additional/ enhancement of other systems

balance

Understand BCA structure

DTS Provisions



Objective O1

F1

P1

D1 D2

P2

D3 D4 D5

F2

P3

D6 D7

coverage

• Ideal structure – mutual exclusive + collectively exhaustive

Current structure

DTS Provisions



Objective O1

F1

P1

D1 D2

P2

D3 D4 D5

F2

P3

D6 D7

• FCRC Project 1 – detailed review of each DTS requirement – cannot be made mutual exclusive

coverage

What does this mean?

O1

coverage

Interaction with other objectives

O1

02

coverage

Interaction with other objectives

O1 02

Complex interactions

O1 02 O3

coverage

How do you ensure full coverage in your design?Trick:

• Develop a fire engineering strategy (incorporate it into the PBDP)

• Make objectives as a dimension of the strategy

• Weave in IFEG sub-systems as another dimension

• Superimpose the performance solutions

coverage

Make objectives as a dimension coverage

3 BCA Objectives (what to achieve)

Weave in IFEG sub-systemsas another dimension

coverage

6 IFEG subsystems(how to achieve)


Add other objectives if any coverage


3 BCA Objectives (what to achieve) Other Objectives

Extend the sub-systems coverage



Superimpose proposed solutions



coverage

what whyhow

Other Objectives

Assumptions

• Assumptions are: • necessary because we can’t know

everything

• foundation of your design

• Friend or Foe?

• If the assumptions are wrong, your design could be compromised

• Must treat assumptions with upmost respect

• Building

• Occupants

• Materials

• Building systems

• Constructions

• Commissioning

• Certifications

• Analytical models

• Fire scenarios

• Design fire

• etc

assumptions

Tips: Find out before assuming

• Documentation

• Site inspection

• Seek clarification

• Review and peer review

• Know what you can know, assume only what you cannot know

• State what is known and unkown

assumptions

Recap

• Balance• Safety level Performance Solution ≥ DTS Solution

• You must put in something if you take out something

• Coverage• All objectives (relevant Performance Requirements) must be addressed

• Develop a fire safety strategy by weaving “what” and “how”.

• Assumptions• Treat with respect

What changes are coming up (1 July 2021)?

• BCA Performance Solution mandatory 4-step process

• Professional Engineers Registration Act

Thank you

performance solutions – ensuring design success

Documents