The exquisite Globe Theatre in London was the venue for the second ‘Recycling Historic Buildings’ seminar, organised by Chiltern International Fire’s sister company TRADA. CIF’s Peter Barker, Head of Section: Fire Consultancy, spoke on ‘Fire safety challenges and solutions for historic buildings’.
The seminar attracted a high-powered audience comprising developers, local authority conservation officers, architects, structural engineers, heritage consultants and specialist contractors.
Many historic properties evolve over the centuries, Mr Barker told delegates. ‘Many aspects of an original building may have been altered through fashion or necessity. This can create an incongruous mix of materials and inconsistency in workmanship, concealing construction faux pas and creating hidden voids. Ad hoc repairs and poor maintenance can, over time, lead to hidden structural damage, while shrinkage or fungal attack may create enlarged voids, all of which can present particular fire risks.’
Approved Document B provides practical guidance on Building Regulations requirements for England and Wales, but historic buildings rarely ‘fit’ the prescriptive nature of the Regulations, said Mr Barker. ‘Historic buildings must be considered on a case-by-case basis. By dealing with each of the requirements in turn, and introducing practical solutions suited to the building and its contents, a holistic fire safety strategy can be developed which also meets the functional requirements of the building regulations.’
Fire risk assessment and management are at the core of any effective fire safety strategy. This can be broken down into preparation, prevention, protection and management.
PDF: Chiltern Fire at the Globe
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