Due to a whole range of factors- not least of which is the mandating of water supplies for firefighting in the building code- there is much confusion about what water supply for firefighting actually should be- both in the context of the building code as well as in the context of the design of water supply infrastructure.
Compliance with CAN/ULC-S1001 is now required for projects designed to meet the 2015 NBC ; 2018 BCBC and 2019 VBBL. Do your clients and building owners understand the formalized testing requirements to provide this deliverable for occupancy and have a procedure in place for periodic testing through the life cycle of the building?
Interconnected floor spaces are incorporated into many commercial and institutional buildings worldwide, yet they pose a unique challenge to the primary objectives of the Building Code to mitigate fire spread and safeguard occupant egress. The hazards presented by interconnection of floors within a building is recognised by building codes across the world; however, the accepted approach to mitigate these hazards differs across jurisdictions.
Day-to-day monitoring and mitigation of the fire risk during construction is a responsibility of the owner, and typically carried out by the contractor. However it is becoming more common for local authorities to require a Fire Protection Engineer or other professionals to assess the risk of fire exposure onto adjacent buildings, and propose additional methods for protection when a building under construction is not sufficiently separated from adjacent property.
Brian Meacham (Current President of the SFPE) will address the chapter on the newest initiatives of the Society. Vancouver has been selected as the host city of the 2021 SFPE International Conference. Brian will be able to provide some further insights in what benefits this meeting will bring to our local chapter.
