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PBSA in Southampton

Written by Henry Day on November 1, 2024.

PBSA in Southampton

Project Details

Sector

Student Accommodation
Location

Southampton
Service

Passive Fire Protection
Value

£750,000

Overview

This particular PBSA provider has experience in providing accommodation for students across the UK and owns 151 different properties. One of these properties in Southampton, a 17-storey purpose-built student accommodation built in 2008, consists of 148 cluster flats and has a total of 690 occupants. The building underwent a refurbishment in 2018, which resulted in non-compliance with the previous passive fire protection.

The Brief –

The client requested a full refurbishment for the passive fire protection to ensure that the building was fully compliant and adhered to regulations. Global Technical Services were instructed to carry out a technical note that related to the arrangement and configuration of the rooms within cluster flats.

Situation

An intensive summary highlighted the issues with the fire protection and compartmentation, which was from the original construction of the building. Inappropriate fire stopping works in place meant that smoke and fire could potentially pass from one compartment to another, meaning the compartmentation would fail. As well as this, the fire protection on compartment lines needed to be fully compliant by being brought back to the required fire strategy, as the compartment lines did not fully encapsulate the compartment. To achieve this, the dividing sections needed to be separated to achieve compliance through refurbishment.

Challenges –

As the building is a purpose-built student accommodation, this was a large project which required our team to delegate time and tasks efficiently to complete all of the works and to meet the client brief.

Solution

Refurbishments to the accommodation were carried out in June 2018, and Global were then instructed to carry out improvements to the passive fire protection. Global’s team of fire engineers produced a technical note to examine the building’s fire safety through an assessment of how the building met fire safety regulations, such as BS 9991 requirements and Building Regulations Approved Document B. Our team also carried out sample observations on the fire doors and found that there were defects which required remediation works in order to be made compliant. During the survey, several issues were reported within the building which compromised the effectiveness of the passive fire protection in place. For example, the corridor walls were incomplete, meaning that the compartmentation within the building was breached.

The building was of a high risk, so extra considerations needed to be put in place to ensure the safety for the occupants. In doing so, the compartmentation of the building was brought in line with the standards, which therefore created effective passive fire protective for the building.

Results –

Compliant compartmentation

Improved passive fire protection

Summary

The building underwent a transformative remediation project, as passive fire protection works were carried out in order to ensure that the compartmentation of the building was compliant. Due to Global’s work and commitment to prioritising safety, the refurbishment of the building was compliant in accordance with building regulations, creating a safe space for students to live in.

Fire Compartmentation Survey

Written by Site Ground on October 31, 2023.

Case Study

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Fire Compartmentation Survey

What is a Fire Compartmentation Survey?

A detailed fire compartmentation survey assesses how well a dwelling can protect important escape routes and high-value areas. This includes roof spaces, service risers, and floor voids. Also, to maintain the integrity of a compartment and stop the vertical or horizontal spread of fire, heat, smoke, and fumes, we offer five different types of surveys, depending on the needs/requirements of the client or building.

Fire Compartmentation Surveys

OBSERVATIONAL

Non-intrusive visual inspection of compartment walls, soffits, voids, cavities on the means of escape, protected stair cores and high-risk areas. We will identify all life cycle, maintenance, and latent defects with a technical written and photographed report.

SECTIONAL – VISUAL

Access is typically required to 3 floors. Inspection of sections of the floor template (not the whole floor), across several levels (not all levels). This will allow us to make an informed decision on the condition of the compartmentation, using the balance of probability. It will identify breaches in compartmentation walls/soffits, voids, cavities within the means of escape, protected stair cores and high-risk areas. Information is captured in specialist software for reporting. Floor layout drawings will be required free of charge.

SECTIONAL – INTRUSIVE

As per Sectional – Visual but previously inaccessible areas will be inspected by drilling a small hole through the substrate to enable an inspection by use of a borescope. A larger core drill may then be employed for opening up soffits, voids and cavities as required. Holes will be temporarily filled/covered on completion.

FULL – VISUAL

Access is required to all parts of the building where all breaches in compartmentation walls, voids, cavities in the means of escape, protected stair cores, high-risk and sleeping areas are identified. Information is captured in specialist software for reporting. Floor layout drawings will be required.

FULL – INTRUSIVE

As per Full – Visual previously inaccessible areas will be inspected by use of a borescope and/or opening up soffits, voids and cavities as required.

Once the survey is completed, we’ll provide you with a written report including a plan of the area and an action plan detailing the required improvements and the fire stopping that may need to take place.

Cavity Barriers

Fire Stopping

When constructing a building with voids and cavities, it’s crucial to incorporate cavity barriers to effectively halt the unseen fire spread within concealed cavities.

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Fire Compartmentation

Fire Stopping

Compartmentation plays a vital role in building fire safety by dividing structures into distinct sections that can contain and control the spread of fire.

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Fire Dampers

Fire Stopping

Fire dampers are crucial for creating barriers that resist the spread of fire and smoke through ductwork systems.

Learn more

FAQs

Who needs a fire compartmentation survey?

A fire compartmentation survey is typically conducted on buildings to assess and ensure that adequate fire compartmentation measures are in place. Fire compartmentation is a crucial aspect of fire safety design and involves dividing a building into separate compartments or zones to prevent the spread of fire and smoke. The specific buildings that may require a fire compartmentation survey include:
• Commercial buildings
• Residential buildings with communal corridors and lobbies
• Industrial buildings
• Education institutions
• Healthcare facilities
• Public/Government buildings
• Transportation hubs
• Entertainment venues
Regular surveys and inspections help ensure that fire compartmentation measures are maintained and that any issues are identified and addressed promptly to enhance overall fire safety within a building.
How long will a fire compartmentation survey take?

There is no definitive answer to this question. The duration will vary depending on the size/type of building and the quantity of compartmentation.
Which type of fire compartmentation survey is best for me?
1. 1. Observational
  Non-intrusive visual inspection of compartment walls, soffits, voids, cavities on the means of escape, protected stair cores and high-risk areas. We will identify all life cycle, maintenance, and latent defects with a technical written and photographed report.
  
  A quotation cannot be populated from this report.
  1. Sectional – Visual
  Access required to typically 3 floors. Inspection to sections of the floor template (not the whole floor), across several levels (not all levels). This will allow us to make an informed decision on the condition of the compartmentation, using the balance of probability. It will identify breaches in compartmentation walls/soffits, voids, cavities within the means of escape, protected stair cores and high-risk areas. Information is captured in specialist software for reporting. Floor layout drawings will be required free of charge.
  
  Budget costs can be produced on a pro-rata basis from this report.
  1. Sectional – Intrusive
  As per Sectional – Visual but previously inaccessible areas will be inspected by drilling a small hole through the substrate to enable an inspection by use of a borescope. A larger core drill may then be employed for opening up soffits, voids and cavities as required. Holes will be temporarily filled/covered on completion.
  
  Budget costs can be produced from this report but with further increased detail.
  1. Full – Visual
  Access required to all parts of the building where all breaches in compartmentation walls, voids, cavities in the means of escape, protected stair cores, high risk and sleeping areas are identified. Information is captured in specialist software for reporting. Floor layout drawings will be required.
  
  A full remediation cost can be produced from the information detailed in this report with the
  
  exclusion of any inaccessible areas.
  1. Full – Intrusive
  As per Full – Visual but previously inaccessible areas will be inspected by use of borescope and/or opening up soffits, voids and cavities as required.
  
  A full remediation cost can be produced from the information detailed in this report.
Are fire compartmentation survey part of a fire risk assessment?

Yes, fire compartmentation surveys are typically a component of a comprehensive fire risk assessment. A fire risk assessment is a systematic evaluation of a building or premises to identify potential fire hazards, assess the risk of fire, and determine the effectiveness of existing fire safety measures. Fire compartmentation surveys specifically focus on evaluating the effectiveness of compartmentalisation measures within a building.

Case Studies

St Marks

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Osbourne House

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Opal Court

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Fire Door Installation and Maintenance

Written by Georgina Butters on March 3, 2022.

Case Study

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Fire Door Installation and Maintenance

What is a Fire Door?

In the event of a fire, a Fire Door will maintain a compartment line by preventing the spread of fire and smoke. In turn, this will reduce the risk of loss of life, injury, and property damage. There are various types of Fire Doors, and Global specialise in Timber (wood) Fire Doors, or Composite (compressed material) Fire Doors. Each door we fit must be tested to withstand fire for either 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes or 120 minutes, each with the respective EI30, EI60, EI90 and EI120 ratings.

Fire Doors must be certified to certain standards to guarantee their efficacy. To do this, we ensure all of the doors we fit and repair are to manufacturers detailing, as well as identified via their specific certification label or plug. To help us do this, we either manufacture and supply high-quality doors ourselves or use accredited and well-regarded suppliers depending on the requirements of the project.

Global’s Door Services

Manufacturing

Global have a range of attractive and sustainable Fire Doors, which can be made to order for your project and even installed by our experienced and skilled technicians. Our doors are BM Trada Q Marked on Smoke, Fire and Security, meaning you can rest assured Global’s Doors are providing the highest level of protection to your property and occupants. Tried and tested to EN1634-1, EN1634-3 and PAS24, we’re confident that our Composite Fire Doors can provide some of the best solutions on the market.

Installation

Our installation team all have a minimum of NVQ Level 2 in Passive Fire Protection and/or Carpentry to ensure you’re getting the best out of Global. We understand the importance of Fire Doors and their integrity, which is why we install to FIRAS and BM Trada standards, following manufacturers’ guidelines and working in line with current legislation to secure full compliance. We work with timber and composite fire doors to guarantee your property is getting the best solutions.

Surveys

The Global Group can assist with a range of different requirements for Fire Doors, including full surveys and inspections. Our skilled survey team can develop full risk assessments or door surveys to get you ahead on your project and give you the best idea of your needs. What’s more, any issues identified by our technical team can be remediated by our Fire Door team, giving you the Global Complete Approach.

Types of Fire Door Global works with:

Timber Fire Doors

Timber Doors are another great, sustainable option. Due to their natural material, they can be recycled, giving them a fantastic carbon footprint. Timber Fire Doors have been providing practical solutions for many years, and their insulative nature helps them withstand fire and heat for long periods of time.

Composite Fire Doors

Whilst Composite’s Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP), provides sustainable and attractive elements, their timber core allows them to supply the insulation of a traditional timber fire door, meaning they are excellent at withstanding and restraining heat and fire.

Why choose Global’s Fire Door Team?

We want to ensure that each door we install and repair is to the highest standard, which is why all of our technicians are regularly trained and qualified to industry standards. We employ advanced project software to ensure each piece of work is monitored at each stage so nothing is missed. We work directly with some industry giants in Fire Door Manufacturing to guarantee quality and compliancy, whilst also providing our clients with the best and most attractive solutions.

The Global Group can survey, supply and install Fire Doors to meet your bespoke requirements. This holistic approach allows us to fully understand the nature of your project, meaning we can support you from project conception through to completion, or jump in at any stage to remediate any issues. Our technical division Global Technical Services provide a range of exhaustive surveys, which can then be reviewed and remediated by the Global HSE Solutions team to ensure full compliance with legislative standards.

Case Studies

St Marks

Case Study
Osbourne House

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Opal Court

Case Study

Opal Court Case Study

Written by Georgina Butters on September 7, 2021.

Corporation & Office

New Interior Concept
for the Elephant Office in Central London

More Information

Project Details

Client

Elephant Property Holdings
Location

London, UK
Year

2017
Size

300 sqft

Project Team

Tim Smith, Tracey Wiyland, George Louis

Challenge

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Related Projects

01 – The Conference Room

02 – Meeting Areas

Solution

Precise Office Concept for Floors and Walls

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