Smart Fire Performance - Assessment of Occupant Safety in Specialised Dwellings

Abstract

This paper will introduce the need for a smart fire performance approach to prevent the safety gap and the disasters like Grenfell Tower happening again. Context is given to the design, construction and commissioning problems of fire performance in the UK that have been greatly highlighted by the Grenfell Tower Disaster. The Building Fire Safety Protection & Resistance Testing, Measurement and Reporting BFS&R Protocol™ is introduced as a methodology in development by the author since 2013, which is a non-destructive methodology for assessing in actual buildings the active and passive fire protection systems. Context is given to SMART Expertise project, where the BFS&R Protocol™ will be implemented into a sample of 4000 specialised dwellings over the next two years. In addition, to the benefits and impacts of this project. This paper will be of interest to all professions involved in the design, construction and management of the built environment. Indeed, the BFS&R Protocol™ is applicable to all types of buildings.