AHJ Representation & Plan Review
Whether it’s a new construction or modifications to an existing structure, your project needs to meet the fire and life safety requirements of the Building Code. As part of the approval process from competent authority, we will review your drawings for a clear understanding of your project’s approach to applicable building codes.
We’ve assisted in preparing multiple projects for building approval submission. As part of our plans review and consulting services, we will analyse your architectural, mechanical, electrical, or interior design drawings to identify potential issues long before you meet with building authorities. Where fire protection and life safety concerns are noted in the design, we’ll recommend effective solutions.
As professionals actively involved in Provincial, National and International Codes and Standards, we have in depth knowledge and background on building codes, their intent, application, and proposed changes. We’ll use our expertise to assist you in the development of your plans, ensuring they contain the proper life safety and fire protection approaches to assist in the approval process.
In an emergency situation, occupants need to exit a building safely and effectively. Their ability to do so depends to a large extent on the design and layout of the facility. While the building codes establish the minimum requirements to achieve safe exiting, these requirements may not be easily applied in advanced industrial facilities or innovative architectural designs.
If you’re building or facility faces unique exiting challenges, Responders can use a combination of fire models, egress simulations, and occupant movement analyses to develop technically sound and justifiable solutions. This analysis, in conjunction with discussions with the Authorities Having Jurisdiction, can ensure the implementation of an effective egress strategy in complex and highly automated industrial projects.
In the event of a fire, occupants of a building or facility need to exit quickly and safely. Building and life safety codes prescribe requirements on the maximum distance that an occupant is permitted to travel from any point in the building to the nearest exit. But for structures with unique exiting issues, such as large distribution warehouses or manufacturing occupancies with long or complex conveyor systems, meeting the prescriptive maximum travel distances may pose a challenge.
Responders can perform timed egress studies to evaluate the actual time required to evacuate complex structures under a variety of occupant loading and fire scenarios. The study may include fire modelling, using either hand calculations or computational fluid dynamics software. We can provide you with a timed egress study as part of an alternative solution proposal detailing how your facility can successfully meet the intent of Building Code requirements.
Fire resistance ratings measure the amount of time that a building’s structural elements and assemblies can withstand a fire. These elements may include floor or roof construction, structural elements, and select interior and exterior wall assemblies. Fire resistance ratings are prescribed by the Building Code for the purposes of containing a fire, promoting safe occupant egress, and protecting responding fire fighters. In addition, closures and penetrations though these assemblies are required to be appropriately protected to resist the spread of fire.
As consultants, we can assist you by finding the appropriate approved assembly construction that satisfies Building Code requirements for fire resistance ratings. In some cases, existing approved fire rated assemblies may not meet your unique needs. Responders has the expertise and experience to develop alternative solutions or engineered judgments to help you achieve the appropriate fire resistance ratings for your building. We can also assist you to obtain the necessary approvals of these designs, be it on a project-by-project basis or by coordinating prototype testing with recognized laboratories.
Building Fire Codes provide the minimum level of life safety required for construction projects. As a fire consulting firm working with architects and developers, Responders has the expertise to preserve your design objectives, while establishing fire protection and life safety concepts that effectively meet Code requirements through alternative means.
Whether your project requires approvals for a new or existing property involving a single design factor or an entire complex, we use a meticulous technical approach to resolve your Building and Fire Code issues. We’ll research available Code equivalencies, literature and statistical data in order to generate technically solid and justifiable solutions. We can also guide and prepare clients on how to negotiate with Building and Fire officials and insurance company representatives to obtain the necessary approvals for your project.