Code Consulting
Project Objectives
RAN Fire Protection Engineering offers expert code consulting on a wide array of fire and life safety issues related to building and fire codes. We interview decision makers, incorporate the responses into a preliminary set of objectives, and guide our clients in establishing and adopting global objectives and more specific goals for critical areas.
Performance Based Design
When aesthetics and ambitious designs seem to clash with strict building and fire code requirements, performance-based design offers a powerful solution. This engineering approach integrates the building’s purpose and design deeply into the fire protection strategy, enabling a higher degree of customization and innovation. RAN’s engineers are fire code experts versed in state fire code and NFPA standards. The combination of code consulting expertise and engineering capabilities results in superior performance-based designs that are compliant with codes but not limited by them.
Planning Structure
Leverage RAN’s expert code consulting to review your building’s conceptual design in its early stages. We help you navigate complex codes by presenting clear guidelines and alternative planning approaches for your structure. We’ll support your design philosophies and aesthetic criteria, proposing fire safety solutions that consider the building’s passive features, active systems, and operating fire prevention procedures. For each alternative, we’ll outline its benefits, liabilities, code compliance or equivalencies, and relative initial and life cycle costs.
Evaluations
RAN provides evaluations of drawings and existing fire protection systems to determine a system’s life expectancy, expansion capability, and the capacity to modify the system when needed. Our evaluations assist in determining cost-effective solutions in relation to a building’s life cycle, along with maintaining the aesthetic appeal that the owner may desire. Code officials often request an evaluation report that describes the applicability of a product for use in accordance with construction code requirements. RAN reviews and assess projects to ensure that code requirements are met.
Code Consulting for Variances
RAN’s expert code consulting includes extensive experience in applying for variances in projects where strict code requirements cannot be met due to constructability issues or physical constraints on the layout of an existing building. This variance process allows RAN to provide full fire protection that meets the intent of the code. This approach is especially useful in historic buildings, where changes normally required to meet code standards are not options. RAN has successfully obtained variances in our clients’ favor by leveraging our code consulting expertise when presenting our case in front of the Authority Having Jurisdiction.
Other Services Include:
- Code Analysis
- Code Interpretation
- Fire Safety Evaluation System (FSES)