Services
We provide a flexible forward-thinking approach to help clients achieve cost effective and practical solutions.
Structural Fire Engineering
Trenton are experienced in the application of structural fire engineering principles to ensure robust and cost effective fire resistance designs of buildings.
The overarching principle is to provide performance based fire engineering assessments to determine the required level of protection based upon the given buildings occupancy, ventilation, loading and boundary conditions. The approach often results in significant added value relative to the application of regulatory guidance as protection strategies are derived based upon specific risks associated with the building in question.
Through a fundamental understanding of heat transfer, structural engineering principles and an in depth understanding of the Eurocodes and associated guidance, Trenton are able to offer assessments of steel, concrete, composite and timber frame buildings.
By applying CFD modelling, in conjunction with advanced computational heat transfer and structural analysis tools, Trenton are able to evaluate the structural fire performance of complex buildings. Examples include the assessment of whole building interaction concepts such as tensile membrane action, restrained thermal expansion and load redistributions, and their consequence for the robustness of a structure as a whole. Such behaviours are not explicitly considered in the guidance to the Building Regulations, which is fundamentally based upon isolated element behaviour.
Trenton engineers are also experienced in the forensic assessment of fire resistance provisions in existing and historical buildings. As a result we are able to appraise the likely fire resistance achievable by a retained element of structure.
