Alternative solutions · performance-based design
Fire engineering expertise
Fire engineered solutions for projects where prescriptive rules lag behind the design: metro stations, tunnels, shopping centres, hospitals, tall and heritage buildings. We base alternative solutions on calculations and CFD simulations and, in Poland, take the case through to approval by the Regional Fire Service Headquarters (KW PSP).
Specialisation
A service that demands the deepest expertise
A fire engineering expertise sets the fire safety conditions for upgrading all kinds of buildings. It allows clients to obtain departures from the prescriptive rules - which matters when adding storeys, altering or changing the use of existing buildings. We focus on alternative solutions that are effective and accepted by the authorities, the approach known internationally as performance-based design.
Application
When is a fire engineering expertise needed?
- change of use of a building or part of it, e.g. an industrial hall into a logistics centre or an office building into a hotel
- alteration, extension and adding storeys to existing buildings, including listed buildings
- upgrading buildings in operation: metro stations, railway stations, hospitals, shopping centres
- new developments whose architecture or process goes beyond what the prescriptive rules anticipate
- an order from the State Fire Service (PSP) requiring fire safety conditions to be improved
Scale
Which buildings do we work on?
We work where a single decision drives the programme of the whole project: on metro infrastructure, the Świna tunnel, PGE Narodowy (the National Stadium in Warsaw), Tauron Arena, shopping centres and multi-storey car parks.
Transport infrastructure
Metro stations and cross-passages, tunnels, railway stations, interchanges.
Large-volume buildings
Shopping centres, logistics centres, production and storage halls.
Assembly venues
Stadiums, arenas, sports and entertainment halls, conference centres.
Tall buildings
High-rise office and residential buildings and mixed-use developments.
Healthcare and hotels
Hospitals, care homes and hotels, where phased evacuation is what counts.
Heritage buildings
Buildings where regulatory requirements have to be reconciled with heritage protection.
Legal basis in Poland
Responsibility rests with the owner
Responsibility for the fire safety of a building rests with its owner, and ignorance of the regulations is no excuse. That is why a professional expertise by experienced certified fire safety and building experts is essential. In Poland the work is governed by:
- Fire Protection Act of 24 August 1991
- Construction Law Act (Prawo budowlane) of 7 July 1994
- Regulation of the Minister of Infrastructure of 12 April 2002 on the technical conditions to be met by buildings and their location
- Regulation of the Minister of the Interior and Administration of 7 June 2010 on fire protection of buildings, other construction works and sites
- Regulation of the Minister of the Interior and Administration of 5 August 2023 on fire safety design review
Art. 6a(1) Fire Protection Act
Alternative solutions
The expertise contains a detailed schedule of non-compliances in the building and the proposed alternative solutions. In Poland, on the basis of the expertise and the client’s application, the Regional Fire Service Commander may approve the alternative solutions. Fire safety requirements may be met by alternative means if they ensure:
adequate structural load-bearing capacity for the required period
limiting the spread of fire and smoke
safe evacuation of occupants
safety of firefighting and rescue teams
Need support at the design stage as well? See fire safety design review - we often run the expertise and the design review in parallel.
Process
How is a fire engineering expertise prepared?
- 1
Building survey
Site visit, document review and survey of the existing condition or the design.
- 2
Schedule of non-compliances
We identify every departure from the building and fire safety regulations.
- 3
Alternative solutions
For each non-compliance we propose a solution that provides at least the same level of safety.
- 4
Engineering evidence
We demonstrate performance with calculations, CFD fire simulations and evacuation simulations.
- 5
Approval and handover
We take the case through approval by the Regional Fire Service Headquarters (KW PSP) and support the client until the building is handed over.
We produce the engineering evidence in-house: CFD simulations, evacuation simulations and fire scenarios with a cause-and-effect matrix.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
When is a fire engineering expertise required?
It is needed when a building or design does not meet the prescriptive building or fire safety regulations and the client wants to adopt alternative solutions. Most often this concerns a change of use, alterations to existing buildings and developments with unusual architecture or processes. In Poland it takes the form of a technical expertise (ekspertyza techniczna) that is the basis for approval by the fire service.
Who can prepare a fire engineering expertise in Poland?
The expertise is prepared by a certified fire safety expert (rzeczoznawca). At F&K it is the responsibility of our team of certified experts and fire safety engineers, and for complex buildings we base the alternative solutions on calculations and computer simulations.
How does a fire engineered solution differ from a derogation from building regulations?
A derogation from technical building regulations is a procedure under the Polish Construction Law, granted by the building control authority. Alternative fire safety solutions are approved by the Regional Fire Service Commander of the State Fire Service on the basis of the expert’s report. Large projects often have to follow both routes.
Can the expertise be based on CFD simulation?
Yes. In large-volume buildings, car parks, tunnels and metro stations, CFD fire simulation and evacuation simulation are the strongest evidence that an alternative solution provides safe evacuation and tenable conditions for firefighters. We carry out both analyses in-house.
How much does a fire engineering expertise for a large building cost?
The cost depends on the size and complexity of the building, the number of non-compliances and the scope of the engineering analyses, especially CFD and evacuation simulations. We quote each expertise individually after reviewing the documentation.
Need a fire engineered solution?
Describe the project and its stage. We will set out the route to alternative solutions, the analyses needed and the timeline.