Fire Engineering |  |
Roscon offers many Fire Engineering solutions relating to various issues that you may be experiencing with your building.
Materials Assessment ReportsMost Insurance Underwriters and Brokers are now requesting additional information from Owners Corporation Managers to adequately cover their exposure when policy renewals are due. Examples of the questions being asked are listed below. Risk Assessment Questions Strata Insurers are asking on Cladding/EPS:
Roscon has been working closely with CHU, CHUBB, Whitbread and other Underwriters and Brokers to develop a report which satisfies their requirements. Due to the many instances of non-compliant cladding installations, insurers have begun to reassess insurance premiums, or withhold renewals, until an approved Materials Assessment Report of the cladding system has been carried out and provided to them. Don’t risk your Professional Indemnity Insurance as Owners Corporation Managers by guessing the above information requested by the Insurance Underwriters and Brokers, which could lead to claims being denied if inaccurate information is provided. Often products look the same to the naked eye, e.g. brick which has been rendered or expanded polystyrene which has been rendered. | Cladding & Facade AuditsIf you have concerns regarding the cladding utilised throughout your building, contact Roscon to conduct a review and provide you peace of mind. As expert consultants Roscon can devise fire engineering solutions to address any non-compliant forms of cladding. These solutions can be more cost-effective than replacing the entire building facade. Roscon will review all of the design, construction and approval documentation available, including original architectural plans, to determine if Aluminium Composite Panelling (ACP) has been specified on the building. If ACP has been specified for the building, Roscon will investigate the type of ACP that was specified and compare it with the material that was physically installed. Roscon will also take this data and carry out a determination of the building design and classification details in accordance with the National Construction Code (NCC). Following the documentation review, Roscon will conduct an on-site investigation to assess the facade panelling physically present on the building. This investigation will include how the cladding has been integrated, as well as its classification as either part of the structure of the external wall, or an attachment for aesthetic purposes. As part of this audit, we consider the requirements of the NCC along with deemed to satisfy provisions. At the end of the report, Roscon provides our expert opinion as to whether the implementation is acceptable, or whether cladding materials should be repaired or replaced. |
Testing of Cladding - Fourier Transform Infrared SpectrometryRoscon now uses Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry ASTM E168, ASTM E1252 to test cladding samples. This system provides us the composition of the material used on the building. The result of this test defines the material as either combustible or non-combustible, which will enable Roscon to produce an accurate Fire Engineering Report with possible Performance Solutions or Deemed-to Satisfy Provisions. Through the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA), insurers have agreed upon a Residual Hazard Identification Protocol for the identification of residual risk presented by the use of this building material. The identification of ACPs or other combustible façade materials is the critical first step in the process of identifying the potential hazard to life and property. It must be undertaken with a high confidence of the results and clear understanding of the uncertainty. The primary purpose is to accurately classify and quantify the materials present, including the insulation and sarking, in order to determine the fire load along with its location and proximity to ignition sources. Representative, appropriate and documented sampling and site observations to assist a Certified/Accredited Fire Engineer’s Risk Assessment is required. | Fire Engineering Briefs & Fire Engineering ReportsThese two documents provide an approach to justify the performance solutions identified through qualitative and quantitative analysis statements. Statistical and or supportive evidence will also be used where assumptions for engineering analysis are made. Roscon's Fire Engineering approach is in line with the International Fire Engineering Guidelines (IFEG). John Kendrick is a registered fire engineer (EF20185) with the VBA will be producing these expert reports. With a career in fire engineering and fire protection services, John has been involved in the successful delivery of engineering projects throughout Australia, Asia and the Middle East. Projects have included retail redevelopments, large-scale health care facilities, defense facilities, correctional centres and high rise residential and commercial buildings. |
Building Notices & Emergency OrdersMunicipal Councils have now been provided the list of 1400 residential buildings identified by the Victorian Cladding Taskforce with non-compliant cladding that poses an unacceptable risk to human life. The Municipal Building Surveyors of each council are now about to issue Building Orders or Emergency Orders to the 1400 buildings identified across Victoria, under sections 102 & 106 of the Building Act 1993. Roscon can manage the requirements of the Building and/or Emergency Order for Owners Corporations. We work closely with the Municipal Building Surveyor to ensure your buildings are safe to occupy and devise a detailed plan with the committee to mitigate risk. For more information on how Roscon provides a response to Building Notices/Emergency orders on behalf of the owners corporation, please see the following short video: |