Performance-Based Design (PBD) is a fire protection engineering approach that focuses on achieving specific safety and performance goals, rather than simply adhering to prescriptive code requirements. While prescriptive codes provide standardized rules for common building types, PBD allows for tailored solutions when those rules don’t adequately address a building’s unique characteristics or intended use. This often involves demonstrating that alternative designs achieve an equivalent level of safety to what the prescriptive code intends.

When is it Used?

Performance-based design is used in situations where prescriptive codes are insufficient. This includes:

• Unique Building Designs: Buildings with unusual shapes, sizes, or occupancies that fall outside the scope of prescriptive codes.
• Complex Scenarios: Situations involving atriums, tall high-rise buildings, or large open spaces where standard prescriptive rules may not be applicable.
• Innovative Materials or Systems: When using new materials or fire protection systems not yet covered by prescriptive codes.
• Historic Buildings: Creating fire protection designs that meet modern safety standards whilst not detracting from the valuable historical elements of the building.

What Specialized Expertise is Required?

Successfully implementing performance-based fire protection design, which moves beyond prescriptive code requirements, necessitates a range of specialized engineering expertise. Here’s a breakdown of the key areas:

Fire Dynamics: Understanding fire behavior, including ignition, flame spread, heat release, smoke development, and fire compartmentation.

Fire and Smoke Modeling: Utilizing computational tools to simulate fire scenarios, predict fire growth and smoke movement, and assess the effectiveness of fire protection systems across different scenarios.

Human Behavior in Fire: Understanding how people react in fire emergencies, including their decision-making, movement patterns, and potential panic behaviors.  

Occupancy Characteristics: Analyzing occupant demographics, such as age, mobility, and familiarity with the building, to tailor fire safety strategies accordingly.

Egress Analysis: Evaluating occupant evacuation capabilities, considering factors like occupant load, exit locations, and travel distances, to ensure safe and timely evacuation during a fire.

Compliance:  Navigating the regulatory approval process, preparing comprehensive documentation, and working with authorities having jurisdiction to demonstrate how the building and fire protection designs have full compliance with fire safety requirements.

Architectural Design: Collaboration with architects to integrate fire safety features seamlessly into building designs, considering aesthetics and functionality.

Here are two different scenarios which require performance-based design:

Designing an Atrium’s Smoke Control System:

Atriums are big open spaces that present challenges for smoke control. Prescriptive codes might not always adequately address the unique airflow and smoke movement that occurs in a given space. In a performance-based design process, engineers would use computational fluid dynamic modeling to simulate smoke movement in different fire scenarios. Using this information, they can tailor they can create designs that are specifically tailored to the atrium’s geometry, ventilation, and potential fire scenarios.

Fire Protection for Historic Buildings

Prescriptive codes often dictate specific solutions, such as the type of sprinklers and fire alarms, and where they should be placed. These standardized methods might not be suitable in historic buildings because it compromises the historical integrity of the building. A performance-based design approach means that engineers can explore fire detection and fire suppression systems that are less intrusive and do not conflict with the historic features and aesthetic of the building.

How Can RAN Help?

At RAN Fire Protection we have a deep understanding of how to make your building safe and compliant, when prescriptive code can’t address your fire safety needs. Get in touch to discuss how we can make your building safe.