From our London branch
Join us for this free, in-person event where speaker Michael Spearpoint, Research Leader, OFR Consultants, will provide his expertise to discuss PAS 9980 in reference to fire spread between balconies.
Overview
The fire performance of balconies is an important consideration in the assessment of external wall fire safety, particularly following several high-profile fires involving combustible balcony materials. While PAS 9980 provides a methodology for assessing the risk of fire spread via external wall construction, the evaluation of balconies incorporating combustible materials, such as exposed timber decking, requires a detailed understanding of fire development, flame propagation and the potential for fire spread between storeys.
This presentation examines the mechanisms governing fire spread between balconies with exposed timber decks, drawing upon recent research involving full-scale balcony fire testing. The study investigates the contribution of combustible decking to fire growth, the influence of moveable fire loads and the potential for flames to penetrate gaps between decking boards, leading to ignition of combustible materials on balconies above.
The talk explores the findings from experimental fire tests, including observations of fire development, heat release rates and heat flux measurements. Particular attention is given to the influence of balcony geometry, including balcony depth, width and storey-to-storey separation, on the likelihood of upward fire spread. These findings provide the basis for developing simplified thermal radiation models to assess the potential for ignition of exposed timber decking on upper balconies.
Drawing upon these experimental and analytical findings, the presentation considers their practical application within the fire risk appraisal methodology established by PAS 9980. The discussion examines how exposed timber decking may influence the assessment of risk factors, including the circumstances under which balconies of limited extent could be considered to present a neutral rather than negative contribution to the overall external wall fire risk.
The session demonstrates how experimental research and engineering analysis can support a more evidence-based approach to assessing balcony fire risks, improve the interpretation and application of PAS 9980, and inform proportionate fire safety recommendations for existing buildings.
About the speaker: Michael Spearpoint
Mike is currently Research Leader at OFR Consultants, based in its Manchester office. He joined the Fire Research Station, then part of BRE, in 1987 after completing a BSc in Physics at the University of Nottingham. There, he worked on projects relating to fire detection and alarm systems, integrated data-sharing techniques now referred to as building information modelling (BIM), fire testing of cars for the Channel Tunnel project and the use of virtual reality.
Between 1997 and 1999, Mike completed a Master of Science in Fire Protection Engineering at the University of Maryland. During this period, his research, supervised by Prof. Jim Quintiere, investigated aspects of the ignition of wood. He then joined the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch as the New Zealand Fire Service Commission Lecturer in Fire Engineering, where he became co-coordinator of its Master of Fire Engineering programme. While in New Zealand, he completed his PhD on research relating to BIM and contributed to various research activities, including the development of the B-RISK zone model.
Mike joined OFR in 2017 and has undertaken research for government and industry organisations. Projects have addressed means of escape from tall residential buildings, the fire performance of balconies and laminated glass, fire safety provisions in covered car parks, and the burning characteristics of cross-laminated timber (CLT). He also serves on the IFEG and IRP committees of the Institution of Fire Engineers, was a member of the Fire Engineering Advisory Panel, and currently chairs the panel overseeing the revision of PD 7974-6.
Mike has contributed to numerous journal papers, conference contributions and industry articles that cover a wide range of fire science and engineering topics.