Fire safety is and will always be at the centre of how a building is designed, and this applies just as much when it comes to modular buildings. In partnership with CONTAINEX, our team has put its training into practice on a 60-minute fire-rated building, a benchmark that brings improved fire safety to the sectors we work in.
What 60 Minutes Mean
A 60-minute fire rating means the building’s structure is designed to hold up and keep fire from spreading through the roof and walls for a full hour. It does not make a building fireproof. What it does provide is time, which can matter for getting people out and for fire crews to arrive. The level of fire resistance a project needs depends on where it is built and how the building will be used. That’s why fire performance is a necessary conversation at the start of any of our modular solutions.
Where it Matters
Fire resistance matters at all times, wherever someone spends time in a building, which explains why a 60-minute fire-rated building is so relevant to many projects. It is particularly useful where people may need longer to leave, or where a building sits close to others. We work across sectors such as healthcare, education, office space and accommodation, and the same principle applies to any of our modular buildings.
Raising Fire Safety Early
At the start of a project is when fire performance is easiest to plan. Working through the RIBA Plan of Work, we agree what the building will be used for and what it needs to achieve, and that shapes the specification from the concept stage onwards. As our modular buildings are manufactured in a controlled factory environment, quality is consistent before it reaches site, meaning that fire protection is considered and part of the design conversation from the very beginning.
Misting System – An Extra Layer of Protection
Alongside the fire resistance of our modular buildings, misting systems can provide an additional level of protection. As part of our ongoing approach to innovation, these systems help control a fire in its early stages by releasing a fine mist of water, slowing its spread and reducing the impact on the building. Working alongside the building’s fire-resistant construction, misting systems provide another way to improve fire safety and give people more time to evacuate.
New Ways of Working
Meeting this benchmark means adopting new ways of working, and ultimately, fire safety is improved across the projects we deliver. For clients asking what their modular buildings can offer, it provides a clear answer.