Fire Engineering & Building Regulations

Apex Fire Engineering provides fire engineering advice for projects at all stages — from early design through to completion and handover. We work alongside architects, building control, and project teams to ensure that fire safety is integrated into the design from the outset, avoiding costly late-stage changes and ensuring compliance with Building Regulations Part B.

• New developments requiring Building Regulations compliance (Part B / Approved Document B)
• Refurbishment or change-of-use projects where the existing fire safety provisions may be inadequate
• Complex or non-standard building designs where prescriptive guidance is insufficient
• Performance-based fire engineering approaches under BS 7974
• Pre-application discussions with building control bodies or the fire service

• Building Regulations 2010 — Requirement B (Fire safety)
• Approved Document B — Fire safety (Volumes 1 & 2)
• BS 9999:2017 — Fire safety in the design, management and use of buildings
• BS 7974:2019 — Application of fire safety engineering principles

Fire strategy reports, technical fire engineering assessments, compliance commentary against ADB or BS 9999, travel distance analyses, means of escape design reviews, smoke ventilation assessments, and building control submission support.

What is fire engineering?

Fire engineering is the application of scientific and engineering principles to the analysis and design of fire safety measures in buildings. Rather than following the prescriptive guidance in Approved Document B, fire engineering uses performance-based analysis to develop bespoke solutions that meet the functional requirements of the Building Regulations. This approach is particularly valuable where prescriptive guidance is difficult to apply or would result in disproportionate restrictions on building design and use.

When should I use fire engineering instead of prescriptive design?

Fire engineering is typically appropriate where the building design departs from the assumptions underlying Approved Document B — for example, extended travel distances, open-plan layouts, large compartments, complex atriums, phased evacuation strategies, or buildings with mixed residential and commercial uses. It is also used where applying prescriptive rules would be impractical or excessively costly, and where an engineered solution can demonstrate equivalent or better life safety outcomes. Apex can advise whether a fire-engineered approach is appropriate for your project.

What does a fire engineering report include?

A fire engineering report typically includes a qualitative design review identifying the fire safety issues, quantitative analysis of specific fire scenarios using methods from BS 7974 (including fire modelling, smoke movement analysis, or evacuation modelling where required), and design recommendations with clear justification against the functional requirements of the Building Regulations. The report provides the evidence base needed for building control approval of departures from prescriptive guidance.

Do I need fire engineering for a refurbishment or change of use?

Refurbishment and change-of-use projects frequently trigger Building Regulations requirements, particularly where the new use differs materially from the original design intent. Fire engineering can resolve practical challenges that arise when existing building fabric does not meet current prescriptive standards — for example, where structural constraints prevent the installation of additional escape stairs, or where heritage buildings require sympathetic fire safety solutions. Contact Apex to discuss your specific project.

What qualifications should a fire engineer hold?

Fire engineering analysis should be carried out by chartered engineers or equivalent professionals with demonstrable competence in fire safety engineering. Apex fire engineers hold memberships of the Institution of Fire Engineers and have experience across the BS 7974 subsystem framework, including fire dynamics, smoke movement, structural fire engineering, and evacuation analysis. All our fire engineering work is peer-reviewed internally before delivery.