Fire Engineering Report Rev 02 Prepared by Core Engineering Group Dated 9 June 2017

Cbus Property Pty Ltd
Suite 5, Level 5, 5 Martin Place

Sydney NSW 2000
09 June 2017 | Final Issue | Report No. F200372_NMG Display Suite_FER_02
Fire Engineering Report

Newmarket Green - Display Suite
152-154 Barker Street, Randwick, NSW 2031
09 June 2017 | Final Issue | Report No F200372_NMG Display Suite_FER_02
Report Details
Project: Newmarket Green - Display Suite, 152-154 Barker Street, Randwick, NSW 2031
Document: Fire Engineering Report
Report No.: F200372_NMG Display Suite_FER_02
Report Revision History

REV DATE COMMENT PREPARED BY REVIEWED BY VERIFIED BY
ISSUED
01 08/06/17 Draft Issue Dean Watt Graham Morris
for comment BEng (Chemical MEng (Structural and
Engineering) Fire Safety
Engineering)
02 09/06/17 Final Issue Sandro Razzi

BE (Building)
Grad Dip (Performance
Based Building & Fire
Codes)
Accredited Fire
Engineer
BPB 0501
FIEAust
CPEng 2180287
Copyright ©
All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced, published, transmitted or adapted in any form or by any means
without the written permission of CORE Engineering Group.
Disclaimer
The information contained in this document is provided for the sole use of the recipient and no reliance should be placed on the
information by any other person. In the event that the information is disclosed or furnished to any other person, CORE Engineering
Group accepts no liability for any loss or damage incurred by that person whatsoever as a result of using the information.
Page i www.coreengineering.com.au
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
CORE Engineering Group has been engaged by Cbus Property Pty Ltd to develop a Performance Solution for
the display suite located at 152-154 Barker Street, Randwick, NSW 2031. The project encompasses the
construction of a temporary display suite structure which will serve to promote and sell the prospective
residential buildings being constructed on the Newmarket Green estate.
This Fire Engineering Report (FER) highlights areas of non-conformance with the Building Code of Australia
2016 (BCA) [1] Deemed-to-Satisfy (DtS) provisions for the project.
The FER outlines the scope of work for the Fire Engineering Analysis, sets down the basis on which the
analysis has been undertaken (as agreed by the stakeholders), the necessary acceptance criteria and
specifies a Fire Safety Strategy and work schedule for compliance.
The following table lists the departures from the DtS provisions of the BCA for the works and those Fire
Engineering requirements formulated as part of the evaluation. The procedures outlined in BCA clause A0.7
has been used to identify the BCA DtS Provisions and Performance Requirements that are relevant to the
Performance Solutions. The assessment methodology for the Fire Engineering Assessment has been
prepared in accordance with the International Fire Engineering Guidelines (IFEG) [3].
A fully prescriptive approach of complying with the BCA DtS provisions for fire resisting construction would not
satisfy the desired architectural and client aspirations. As such, Performance Solutions have been developed
to account for the following issues which do not comply with the DtS Provisions:
 Fire protection of external walls
 Exposed openings
As detailed within this report, evaluation of those Performance Solutions has identified that the project will
comply with the Performance Requirements of the BCA.
Summary of Performance Solutions
BCA DTS DETAILS OF PERFORMANCE BASED SOLUTION

PROVISIONS
Protection of Relevant BCA DtS Provisions
Openings and Specification C1.1 requires an external wall within 3 m of the property boundary to
External Walls achieve an FRL in accordance with Table 5 in that Specification, being:
 90/90/90 for a separation distance of less than 1.5 m.
BCA DtS  60/60/60 for a separation distance of 1.5 m or greater but less than 3 m.
Provisions
Clause C3.2 requires that all openings within 3 m of these site boundary must be
Specification protected in accordance with Clause C3.4.
C1.1: Fire-
DtS Variation
resisting
construction The external walls of the temporary Display Suite are located less than 3 m of the site
boundary in various locations around its perimeter. It is proposed that these walls do
not achieve an FRL, nor will openings be provided with protection in accordance with
Clause C3.2: Clause C3.4.
Protection of
Performance Solution
openings in
external walls The Performance Solution shall rely on the fact that the Display Suite is to be a single-
storey temporary structure alongside unoccupied buildings whereby the likelihood of
ignition sources is expected to be negligible. The building’s small floor area and open
Performance plan assists in pre-movement time, whilst the minimal population shall be managed by
Requirements staff present.
CP1 and CP2 Approaches and Method of Analysis
The assessment methodology follows Clauses A0.3(a)(i)(ii) and A0.5(b)(ii),(d) of the
BCA. A comparative and absolute approach shall be used with qualitative elements in
order to establish that the design satisfies the relevant Performance Requirements so
that the risk of fire exposure and fire spread is not increased and occupant life safety is
not compromised.
Acceptance Criteria
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PROVISIONS
Fire spread to and from the Display Suite must be suitably mitigated to an equivalent
or better degree than seen in a DtS compliant design.
As a result of the identified building and occupant characteristics, fire safety objectives, identified fire hazards
and DtS non-compliances the Fire Safety Strategy (Trial Design) has been formulated.
In this instance, the following is put forward as a summary of the fire safety measures required by the Fire
Engineering Assessment in ensuring the Performance Solutions assessed herein comply with the relevant
Performance Requirements of the Building Code of Australia. Where not commented on herein it is expected
that all other relevant fire safety requirements either through the BCA or Australian Standards are to comply.
Summary of Fire Engineering Requirements
FIRE DETAILS STANDARD OF

ENGINEERING COMPLIANCE
REQUIREMENT
General
BCA DtS With the exception of the Performance Solution assessed herein BCA Section B,
compliance all other aspects relating to fire safety within the building are to C, D and E
comply with the Deemed-to-Satisfy provisions of the BCA.
Fire Resistance
Type of The building is required to be of Type C fire-resisting construction. BCA
construction A Performance Solution is provided to permit the external walls to Specification
not achieve a fire-resistance level. C1.1
 This is reliant upon no development occurring on the adjacent Performance
boundaries during the lifetime of the Display Suite. Solution
Protection of Openings less than 1.5 m or 3 m from a boundary are permitted to BCA DtS
openings omit prescriptive protection as required by Clause C3.2 and Provision C3.2
outlined by Clause C3.4 of the BCA. Performance
 This is reliant upon no development occurring on the adjacent Solution
boundaries during the lifetime of the Display Suite.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY _________________________________________________________________ iii
1 INTRODUCTION _____________________________________________________________________ 1
1.1 OVERVIEW 1
1.2 FIRE SAFETY OBJECTIVES 1
1.3 REGULATORY FRAMEWORK OF THE FIRE ENGINEERING ASSESSMENT 2
2 PROJECT SCOPE ___________________________________________________________________ 4

2.1 OVERVIEW 4
2.2 RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS 4
2.3 SOURCES OF INFORMATION 4
2.4 LIMITATIONS AND ASSUMPTIONS 5
3 PRINCIPAL BUILDING CHARACTERISTICS ______________________________________________ 6

3.1 OVERVIEW 6
3.2 SITE LOCATION 6
3.3 SITE LAYOUT 8
3.4 BUILDING STRUCTURE 10
3.5 BCA ASSESSMENT SUMMARY 10
4 DOMINANT OCCUPANT CHARACTERISTICS ___________________________________________ 11

4.1 OVERVIEW 11
4.2 OCCUPANT NUMBERS AND DISTRIBUTION 11
4.3 OCCUPANT ATTRIBUTES 11
4.4 OCCUPANT FAMILIARITY 12
4.5 EMERGENCY TRAINING 12
5 FIRE HAZARDS AND PROTECTIVE MEASURES _________________________________________ 13

5.1 OVERVIEW 13
5.2 FIRE HAZARDS 13
5.3 PREVENTATIVE AND PROTECTIVE MEASURES 14
6 BCA DtS NON-COMPLIANCE ASSESSMENT ____________________________________________ 15

6.1 OVERVIEW 15
6.2 BCA DTS NON-COMPLIANCES AND PERFORMANCE SOLUTIONS 15
7 FIRE ENGINEERING ASSESSMENT ___________________________________________________ 16

7.1 OVERVIEW 16
7.2 PROTECTION OF OPENINGS AND EXTERNAL WALLS 16
8 FIRE ENGINEERING REQUIREMENTS _________________________________________________ 19

8.1 OVERVIEW 19
9 NOMENCLATURE __________________________________________________________________ 20
10 REFERENCES _____________________________________________________________________ 21
APPENDIX A STATISTICS A-1
APPENDIX B ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY B-1
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1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 OVERVIEW
This Fire Engineering Report has been undertaken to nominate proposed Performance Solutions for assessing
compliance with the nominated Performance Requirements of the BCA [1] in accordance with the
methodologies defined in the IFEG [3] and provide a workable and safe Fire Safety Strategy through a trial
design. In order to develop and assess the nominated non-compliances the following flowchart process is to
be adopted.
• Provides details of the project team

Project Scope • Provides information to be utilised
• Provides limitations of the assessment
Principal Building • Defines particular construction details of the

Characteristics development applicable to fire safety management
Dominant • Defines occupant characteristics which may affect their Each characteristic can affect the
Occupant ability to respond and evacuate in fire conditions outcome of the fire strategy when
Characteristics assessed in conjunction with each
other i.e. occupants requiring
assistance may require increased
passive and active fire protection.
Fire Hazards and • Establishes the likely risks for occupant and brigade life
Protective safety and suitable measures to address those risks
Measures
BCA DtS Non- • Details non-compliance/s for the building and relevant BCA clauses
Compliance • Provides methods for justifying the above risks
Assessment and
• Defines methods proposed for assessing the performance of the Performance Solutions and
Acceptance
Criteria objectives
Fire Engineering • Provides assessment of the BCA non-compliances utilising the methodology and acceptance
Assessment criteria to confirm compliance with the required performance Provisions
Fire Engineering • Details likely passive, active and management requirements to confirm the trial design
Requirements assesses the nominated non-compliances
Figure 1-1: Fire Engineering Report Process
1.2 FIRE SAFETY OBJECTIVES

The objective of this Fire Engineering Assessment is to develop a Fire Safety System, which satisfies the
performance requirements of the BCA whilst maintaining an acceptable level of life safety, protection of
adjacent property and adequate provisions for Fire Brigade intervention. At a community level, fire safety
objectives are met if the relevant legislation and regulations are complied with. As stated in the BCA, “A
Building Solution will comply with the BCA if it satisfies the Performance Requirements”. In addition to this,
certain non-regulatory objectives exist as detailed below.
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1.2.1 Building regulatory objectives

The following items are a summary of the fire and life safety objectives of the BCA:
 Life safety of occupants - the occupants must be able to leave the building (or remain in a safe refuge)
without being subject to hazardous or untenable conditions. The objective of the Fire Engineering
Assessment is to demonstrate that the proposed building design and fire safety systems would minimise
the risk of exposing building occupants to hazardous or untenable conditions in an event of a fire.
 Life safety of fire fighters - fire fighters must be given a reasonable time to rescue any remaining
occupants before hazardous conditions or building collapse occurs. The objective of the Fire Engineering
Assessment is to demonstrate that the proposed building design and fire safety systems would facilitate
fire brigade intervention and minimise the risk of exposing fire fighters to hazardous or untenable conditions
in an event of a fire.
 Protection of adjoining buildings - structures must not collapse onto adjacent property and fire spread
by radiation should not occur. The objective of the Fire Engineering Assessment is to demonstrate that the
proposed building design and fire safety systems would minimise the risk of fire spreading from one
building to another.
1.2.2 Fire Brigade objectives

The overall philosophical Fire Brigade objectives throughout Australia are to protect life, property and the
environment from fire according to the Fire Brigade Intervention Model (FBIM) [10] as per the Fire Services
State and Territory Acts and Regulations.
Over and above the requirements of the BCA, the Fire Brigade has functions with regard to property and
environmental protection and considerations regarding occupational health and safety for its employees.
1.2.3 Non-prescribed objectives

Fire Engineering has an overarching benefit to many facets of the built environment where non-prescribed
objectives can have an influence on the Fire Safety Strategy adopted. Although not assessed within, the
following can be considered if requested.
 Business continuity - will the loss of a particular facility due to fire / smoke damage result in excessive
financial impact on the client? For example, is the facility critical to business continuity?
 Public perception - should a fire occur within the facility is there likely to be questionable public perception
about the safety and operation of the facility?
 Environmental protection - fires of excessive sizes can have significant effects on the environment which
may require a detailed risk assessment to minimise such outcomes.
 Heritage salvation - buildings can have a heritage value for both cultural and educational purposes which
can be destroyed by insufficient fire protection.
 Risk mitigation / insurance limitations - are there specific limitations on insurance with respect to risk
mitigation and fire safety design? i.e. Does the relevant insurer have concerns with respect to open voids
through the building?
 Future proofing (isolation of systems) - what flexibility is required in the overall design to allow for future
development or changes in building layout?
 Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) requirements - buildings may have specific fire safety
requirements pertaining to OHS requirements.
1.3 REGULATORY FRAMEWORK OF THE FIRE ENGINEERING ASSESSMENT
1.3.1 Building Code of Australia

One of the goals of the BCA is the achievement and maintenance of acceptable standards of safety from fire
for the benefit of the community. This goal extends no further than is necessary in the public interest and is
considered to be cost effective and not needlessly onerous in its application.
Section A0.3 of the BCA [1] outlines the process for proving that a Performance Solution complies with the
NCC. These are as follows:
(a) A Performance Solution must –
(i) comply with the Performance Requirements; or
(ii) be at least equivalent to the Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions,
and be assessed according to one or more of the Assessment methods.
(b) A Performance Solution will only comply with the NCC when the Assessment Methods used
satisfactorily demonstrate compliance with the Performance Requirements.
Section A0.5 of the BCA provides several different methods for assessing that a Performance Solution
complies with the Performance Requirements. These methods are summarised as follows:
(a) Evidence to support that the use of a material, form of construction or design meets a Performance
Requirement or a Deemed-to-Satisfy Provision.
(b) Verification Methods such as:
(i) the Verifications Methods in the NCC; or
(ii) such other Verification Methods as the appropriate authority accepts for determining compliance
with the Performance Requirements.
(c) Expert Judgement.
(d) Comparison with the Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions.
Section A0.7 of the BCA provides methods for complying with provisions A1.5 (to comply with Sections A to J
of the BCA inclusive). The following method must be used to determine the Performance Requirements
relevant to the Performance Solution: These methods are summarised as follows:
(a) Where a Performance Requirement is satisfied entirely by a Performance Solution:
(i) Identify the relevant Performance Requirement from the Sections or Part to which the
Performance Solution applies.
(ii) Identify Performance Requirements from other Sections of Parts that are relevant to any aspects
of the Performance Solution proposed or that are affected by the application of the Performance
Solution.
(b) Where a Performance Requirement is satisfied entirely by a Performance Solution in combination with
a Deemed-to-Satisfy Solution:
(i) Identify the relevant Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions of each Section or Part that is to be the subject
of the Performance Solution.
(ii) Identify the Performance Requirements from the same Section or Part that are relevant to the
identified Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions.
(iii) Identify Performance Requirements from the other Sections and Parts that are relevant to any
aspects of the Performance Solution proposed or that are affected by the application of the
Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions that are the subject of the Performance Solution.
1.3.2 International Fire Engineering Guidelines

The IFEG [3] document has been developed for use in fire safety design and assessment of buildings and
reflects world’s best practice. The document is intended to provide guidance for fire engineers as they work to
develop and assess strategies that provide acceptable levels of safety.
The document is particularly useful in providing guidance in the design and assessment of Performance
Solutions against the Performance Requirements of the BCA. The prescribed methodology set out in the IFEG
has been generally adopted in the Fire Engineering Report.
2 PROJECT SCOPE
2.1 OVERVIEW
CORE Engineering Group has been engaged to develop a Performance Solution for
the display suite located at 152-154 Barker Street, Randwick, NSW 2031. The
Project Scope
project encompasses the construction of a temporary display suite structure which
will serve to promote and sell the prospective residential buildings being constructed
on the Newmarket Green estate.
Specifically, this fire engineering report presents Performance Solutions to address the following items that do
not conform with the DtS Provisions of the BCA;
 Fire protection of external walls
 Exposed openings
2.2 RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS

This Performance Solution has been developed collaboratively with the relevant stakeholders as identified
below:
Table 2-1: Relevant Stakeholders
ROLE NAME ORGANISATION

Client Representative Ruth Rughoobur Cbus Property Pty Ltd
Principal Certifying Authority / Vanessa Batty McKenzie Group Pty Ltd
BCA Consultant Aaron Celarc
Architect Rachel Neeson Neeson Murcutt Architects Pty Ltd
Mark Ojascastro Bates Smart Pty Ltd
Fire Safety Engineer Dean Watt CORE Engineering Group
Graham Morris
Fire Safety Engineer (C10) Sandro Razzi
It should be noted that at times some parties may have a vested interest in the outcome of the Fire Engineering
assessment. Such parties can include local fire brigades, insurers, Environmental Protection Authority (EPA),
project control groups, end users and community representatives. Although not always a legislative
requirement, the design team should give due consideration to their inclusion in the Fire Engineering process.
Where not required by legislation it is the client’s decision to involve such parties, especially local fire brigade,
to ensure a transparent and adequate fire safety solution for all. Where we are not notified of the inclusion of
such parties it is assumed the client / representative has given due consideration to the above.
2.3 SOURCES OF INFORMATION

The following sources of information have been provided by the design team:
 BCA Markup Drawing provided by Aaron Celarc from McKenzie Group on 8 May 2017.
 Architectural Plans provided by Rachel Neeson from Neeson Murcutt Architects as indicated in Table 2-2
below.
Table 2-2: Drawings
DRAWING NO. DESCRIPTION ISSUE DATE

1613.A02 Display Suite Building Plan [BCA Markup] 3 26/04/2017
A40.100 Display Suite A 10/03/2017
A40.101 Display Suite Site Plan A 23/11/2016
2.4 LIMITATIONS AND ASSUMPTIONS

In this instance, the Fire Engineering Report is developed based on applicable limitations and assumptions for
the development which are listed as follows:
 The report is specifically limited to the project described in Section 3.
 The report is based on the information provided by the team as listed above in Section 2.3.
 Building and occupant characteristics are as per Section 3 and 4 respectively of this report. Variations to
these assumptions may affect the Fire Engineering Strategy and therefore they should be reviewed by a
suitably qualified Fire Engineer should they differ.
 As per any building design, DtS or otherwise, the report is limited to the fire hazards and fuel loads as
prescribed in Appendix A. The report does not provide guidance in respect of areas, which are used for
Dangerous Good storage, processing of flammable liquids, explosive materials, multiple fire ignitions or
sabotage of fire safety systems.
 The development complies with the DtS provisions of the BCA [1] with all aspects for fire and life safety
unless otherwise stated in this report. Where not specifically mentioned, the design is expected to meet
the BCA DtS requirements of all relevant codes and legislation at the time of construction and / or at the
time of issue of this report.
 The assessment is limited to the objectives of the BCA and does not consider property damage such as
building and contents damage caused by fire, potential increased insurance liability and loss of business
continuity.
 Malicious acts or arson with respect to fire ignition and safety systems are limited in nature and are outside
the objectives of the BCA. Such acts can potentially overwhelm fire safety systems and therefore further
strategies such as security, housekeeping and management procedures may better mitigate such risks.
 This report is prepared in good faith and with due care for information purposes only, and should not be
relied upon as providing any warranty or guarantee that ignition or a fire will not occur.
 The Fire Engineering Report is only applicable to the completed building. This report is not suitable, unless
approved otherwise, to the building in a staged handover.
 Where parties nominated in Section 2.2 have not been consulted or legislatively are not required to be,
this report does not take into account, nor warrant, that fire safety requirements specific to their needs
have been complied with.
3 PRINCIPAL BUILDING CHARACTERISTICS
3.1 OVERVIEW
Building characteristics are assessed as part of the Fire Engineering Review due the
following:
1. The location can affect the time for fire brigade intervention and potential
Principal Building external fire exposure issues.
Characteristics
2. The structure will impact on the ability to resist a developing fire and support
condition to allow occupants to escape the building and the fire brigade to
undertake firefighting to the degree necessary.
3. The floor area determines the potential fire size and area required to be
evacuated in the event of a fire.
4. BCA details such as Type of Construction, Class and Height will dictate passive
and active fire safety systems.
3.2 SITE LOCATION

The development site is located in Randwick, approximately 9 km south-east of Sydney’s central business
district, to the south of Barker Street, west of Young Street. The Newmarket Green site will consist of an
assortment of residential and mixed used buildings, whilst this report specifically concerns a temporary Display
Suite located on Lot N1.
Figure 3-1: Newmarket Green Site Location Source: www.googlemaps.com.au
Figure 3-2: Newmarket Green Estate Plan Layout
Figure 3-3: Temporary Display Suite Location in relation to Newmarket Green Estate Plan
The building site influences the likely fire brigade intervention times, and given the close proximity to the
nearest fire station is expected to facilitate a relatively convenient and expedient fire brigade response. The
two nearest fire brigade stations provided with permanent staff are Randwick and Maroubra which are
approximately 1.9 km and 3.5 km from the site respectively.
3.3 SITE LAYOUT

The location of the Display Suite with respect to the overall Newmarket Green site is depicted within Figure 3-3,
accessed from Barker Street. The total area of the development site is approximately 38,500 m². The Display
Suite is a single storey structure with a floor area of 344 m², and is provided with a small external carpark and
outdoor café (9 m² approx.) at the front of the building, shown below in Figure 3-4.
The Sales & Display area at the entrance of the building connects to Display Suites 1 and 2, as well as to the
timber balcony which overlooks a central courtyard, as seen in Figure 3-5.
The existing buildings on adjoining allotments are unoccupied and scheduled for demolition in preparation for
commencement of Lot N1’s construction.
Figure 3-4: Display Suite Site Plan on Existing Plot
Figure 3-5: Display Suite Site Plan & External Cafe
Figure 3-6: Display Suite Elevation from Northern Barker Street
3.4 BUILDING STRUCTURE

The temporary Display Suite structure will be constructed predominantly from Colorbond steel and
plasterboard. Construction elements of the Display Suite are proposed to not achieve an FRL.
3.5 BCA ASSESSMENT SUMMARY

Table 3-1: BCA Building Characteristics
CHARACTERISTIC DESCRIPTION
Classification Class 6 (Display Suite)
Construction Type Type C required
Rise in Storeys One (1)
Effective Height 0 m (i.e. less than 12 m)
Floor Area Display Suite: 344 m²
Approximate – for Sales & Display: 177 m²
information only
Display Suite 1: 70 m²
Display Suite 2: 70 m²
Balcony: 27 m²
External Café: 9 m²
Courtyard: 111 m²
4 DOMINANT OCCUPANT CHARACTERISTICS
4.1 OVERVIEW
The occupant characteristics are assessed within the Fire Engineering Report due
to the following:
1. Population numbers can dictate the time required to evacuate the building and
Dominant the required life safety systems to be provided due to evacuation times.
Occupant
Characteristics
2. Physical and mental attributes affect the occupants’ capacity to respond to
various fire cues and react accordingly.
3. Familiarity of occupants can affect the time taken to evacuate the building and
subsequent active / passive requirements.
4.2 OCCUPANT NUMBERS AND DISTRIBUTION

The BCA assumes the following occupant densities per an area’s function and use according to Table D1.13:
 Showroom: 5 m² per person
These values result in the following estimated populations based on the floor areas provided in Section 3.5.
Table 4-1: Estimated Building Population (DtS Table D1.13)
BUILDING PART FLOOR AREA ESTIMATED POPULATION

Showroom 344 m² 68
The population estimated from Table D1.13 of the BCA DtS Provisions will be utilised in the analysis, therefore
likely providing a conservative population in the temporary Display Suite.
4.3 OCCUPANT ATTRIBUTES

Visiting occupants in the building may be of mixed age, and children are expected to be accompanied by an
adult. Regarding staff, the population is expected to be that of the general working public and be adults
between the ages of 16 to 70. Due to the function of the Display Suite the majority of staff are assumed to be
able bodied people, whilst visitors may consist of less mobile occupants who require assistance during an
evacuation.
All occupants are expected to be awake and alert adults or in the direct company of an adult, capable of
entering the leaving the building under their own volition. Occupants in all of these areas are not expected to
be adversely impaired by drugs, alcohol, fatigue or other adverse conditions to degrees greater than in other
showroom buildings as they would likely be refused entry.
 Staff and Security are expected to be mobile with normal hearing and visual abilities, and occupants in
this group are considered to take and implement decisions independently, and require minimal assistance
during evacuation in a fire emergency. This occupant group is expected to be awake and fully conscious
at all times when inside the building; and
 Clients / Visitors are expected to be mobile with normal hearing and visual abilities, this occupant group
are expected to be capable of making and implementing decisions independently however may require
assistance in locating the nearest and safest egress path in an emergency; and
 External Maintenance Contractors are expected to be mobile with normal hearing and visual abilities
and occupants in this group are considered to take and implement decisions independently and require
minimal assistance during evacuation in a fire emergency. The contractors are expected to be awake and
aware of their surroundings at all times when inside the building; and
 FRNSW are expected to be equipped with safety equipment and will be educated in firefighting activities
and the dangers associated with fire incidents. This occupant group would be expected to be in a position
to assist other occupants requiring assistance to evacuate. It is not expected that this occupant group
would be present in the building at the time of fire ignition; however, they are expected to enter the building
at a later stage to assist with the evacuation of occupants, if required, and to undertake fire suppression
activities.
4.4 OCCUPANT FAMILIARITY

The majority of occupants within the building are expected to be managed appropriately by staff given the
small floorplate, and therefore the population in general are likely to react favourably in an emergency situation.
 Staff, Maintenance and Security can be expected to have a good familiarity with the building and the fire
safety systems provided and may be trained in emergency procedures; and
 Clients and/or Visitors may or may not be familiar with the layout of the building and may require
assistance in locating the exits; and
 External Maintenance Contractors this occupant group is expected to have a reasonable familiarity with
the building as they would be given a site-specific induction prior to commencement of work on site; and
 FRNSW are not expected to have any familiarity of the building layout, however the building floor area is
minimal and the brigade are assumed to be able to visually determine the location of a fire upon their
arrival. Notwithstanding this they will be equipped with breathing apparatus and specialist equipment to
prevent them from being adversely affected by fire hazards.
4.5 EMERGENCY TRAINING

Staff should be familiar with escape procedures through fire drills. Clear escape routes should be maintained
with doors unlocked, and no obstructions or rubbish to hinder evacuation.
Staff and visitors are not expected to have fire suppression training and such training is not relied upon for this
building population; however, staff are expected to possibly attempt to extinguish a fire or limit fire spread by
removing objects in the vicinity of the fire in order to defend their belongings.
5 FIRE HAZARDS AND PROTECTIVE MEASURES
5.1 OVERVIEW
The fire hazard analysis forms the basis for the review of non-compliances within the
building. In assessing expected and statistically validated hazards, preventative and
protective measures are developed commensurate with those expected risks. The
Fire Hazards and following section reviews applicable hazards and recommends possible measures
Protective to address those risks. Furthermore, hazards identified can form a justified basis for
Measures
selected scenarios.
5.2 FIRE HAZARDS

Subsequent to a review of the relevant fire statistics and hazards presented in Appendix A, the fire hazards
are specific to this building are summarised below.
5.2.1 General Layout

Exits are provided around the buildings’ perimeter to allow for multiple alternative egress opportunities. Due to
the open nature of the display suite and its minimal floor area, there are limited dead end travel routes to exits,
and exit travel distances are compliant.
The Display Suite is within 3 m of the site boundary at different locations around its perimeter. As such, a
potential hazard has been identified from these adjoining buildings. Internal hazards have been deemed to be
minimal. Due to the open space and multiple egress opportunities, internal fire exposures are also expected
to be minimal as occupants in the area of fire origin are likely to immediately become aware of fire and are
likely to commence evacuation. Exits have been nominated as below in Figure 5-1.
Figure 5-1: Display Suite Exposure Separation Distances & Exit Locations
5.2.2 Activities
It is not expected that regular hot work processes, use of highly flammable materials, manufacturing processes
or operation of high friction or high temperature machinery will be performed within the building. The
development is a display suite which provides an indicative prospective of a unit for potential property
customers.
5.2.3 Ignition Sources

Based on the statistical review contained in Appendix A ignition sources relevant to this site, in order of
occurrence:
Stores & Other Mercantile Properties
 Electrical / lighting equipment
 Heating equipment
 Intentional
 Exposure to other fire
5.2.4 Fuel Sources

Quantity of Materials
 Sales & Display (Office) – 800 MJ/m².
 Display Suite (Homes) – 500 MJ/m².
 Cinema – 300 MJ/m².
 Café – 400 MJ/m².
Stored goods besides paper are unlikely within the Display Suite building as it is for public viewing and for use
similar to that of an office tenancy. Significant fuel loads are therefore unlikely to be encountered, with the
sales & display area providing the greatest potential for a paper fuel load to accumulate. Egress pathways are
to be maintained clear of furniture and stored items.
Dangerous Goods
Dangerous goods cannot be discounted from being present in the building. However, the quantity will be limited
by the space available and relevant workplace health and safety regulations will apply governing storage
allowances (quantity) and requirements.
Fire Behaviour
Fire growth rates will vary with fuel type and conditions of ventilation and compartmentation. The most likely
outcome of any fire outbreak within the building is one which occurs within the sales & display or display suite
areas. This would be expected to grow at a medium time-squared fire growth rate until the roof is compromised,
at which point the building will be able to ventilate heat and smoke, or until the brigade arrive on site.
5.3 PREVENTATIVE AND PROTECTIVE MEASURES

It is recognised that smoke is one of the most serious threats to life safety in the event of a fire. Given its size
and single-storey nature, this building is not required to be afforded with a smoke detection system.
Given its single storey nature and limited floor area, the building is not required to be provided with sprinkler
protection. Fire extinguishers as well as fire hydrant and hose reel coverage is not required as the building is
under 500 m². Drencher protection has not been deemed necessary for the external wall openings, as
assessed within the Performance Solution.
6 BCA DtS NON-COMPLIANCE ASSESSMENT
6.1 OVERVIEW
In this instance, the BCA DtS non-compliances have been formulated based on the
regulatory review as provided by the principal certifying authority. Where not listed
herein the building is required to achieve compliance with relevant DtS provisions or
BCA DtS Non- if existing, comply with relevant codes, reports and / or Standards approved at the
Compliance time of consideration.
Assessment and
Acceptance The following table lists the departures from the DtS provisions of the BCA for the
Criteria proposed building and the analysis methodology proposed for the Fire Engineering
assessment, which is to be generally in accordance with the IFEG [3].
6.2 BCA DTS NON-COMPLIANCES AND PERFORMANCE SOLUTIONS

Table 6-1: Summary of Performance Solutions

PROVISIONS
Protection of Relevant BCA DtS Provisions
Openings and Specification C1.1 requires an external wall within 3 m of the property boundary to
External Walls achieve an FRL in accordance with Table 5 in that Specification, being:
BCA DtS  60/60/60 for a separation distance of 1.5 m or greater but less than 3 m.
Provisions
Specification protected in accordance with Clause C3.4.
C1.1: Fire-
DtS Variation
resisting
construction The external walls of the temporary Display Suite are located less than 3 m of the site
boundary in various locations around its perimeter. It is proposed that these walls do
not achieve an FRL, nor will openings be provided with protection in accordance with
Clause C3.2: Clause C3.4.
Protection of
Performance Solution
openings in
external walls The Performance Solution shall rely on the fact that the Display Suite is to be a single-
storey temporary structure alongside unoccupied buildings whereby the likelihood of
ignition sources is expected to be negligible. The building’s small floor area and open
Performance plan assists in pre-movement time, whilst the minimal population shall be managed by
Requirements staff present.
CP1 and CP2 Approaches and Method of Analysis
The assessment methodology follows Clauses A0.3(a)(i)(ii) and A0.5(b)(ii),(d) of the
BCA. A comparative and absolute approach shall be used with qualitative elements in
order to establish that the design satisfies the relevant Performance Requirements so
that the risk of fire exposure and fire spread is not increased and occupant life safety is
not compromised.
Acceptance Criteria
Fire spread to and from the Display Suite must be suitably mitigated to an equivalent
7 FIRE ENGINEERING ASSESSMENT
7.1 OVERVIEW
In order to establish that the required BCA Performance Requirements have been
adequately assessed the following section details the results of the analysis and
compares those results to each applicable Performance Requirement. The results
Fire Engineering of the analysis are collated and evaluated taking into consideration the DtS
Assessment requirements, assessment methodology, and acceptance criteria.
7.2 PROTECTION OF OPENINGS AND EXTERNAL WALLS
7.2.1 Regulatory assessment

In order to assess the non-compliance of the relevant BCA DtS clause(s) the following table is provided to
outline the relevant regulatory requirements and assessment methods.
Table 7-1: Regulatory Assessment
REGULATORY DESCRIPTION / DETAILS

REQUIREMENT
BCA DtS Provisions: Specification C1.1 requires an external wall within 3 m of the property boundary to
achieve an FRL in accordance with Table 5 in that Specification, being:
 60/60/60 for a separation distance of 1.5 m or greater but less than 3 m.
protected in accordance with Clause C3.4.
Non-compliance with The external walls of the temporary Display Suite are located less than 3 m of the
DtS Provisions: site boundary in various locations around its perimeter. It is proposed that these
walls do not achieve an FRL, nor will openings be provided with protection in
accordance with Clause C3.4.
Relevant CP1 and CP2
Performance
Requirements:
Approaches and The assessment methodology follows Clauses A0.3(a)(i)(ii) and A0.5(b)(ii),(d) of the
Method of Analysis: BCA. A comparative and absolute approach shall be used with qualitative elements
in order to establish that the design satisfies the relevant Performance
Requirements so that the risk of fire exposure and fire spread is not increased and
occupant life safety is not compromised.
Acceptance criteria: Fire spread to and from the Display Suite must be suitably mitigated to an equivalent
7.2.2 Introduction
The Display Suite is to be a temporary structure that will provide customers with the ability to inspect a typical
unit whilst works commence on the remainder of the Newmarket Green estate. The intended location for the
display suite is on what will become Lot N1, and is to be between an existing house and a stable building. Due
to its temporary nature, the Display Suite structure is proposed to not have its external walls achieve an FRL.
Furthermore, openings in its external walls will not be provided with protection to protect against potential fire
spread, as detailed within Clause C3.4 of the BCA.
7.2.3 Intent of the BCA

The Guide to the BCA [2] states that the intent of Specification C1.1 is “to specify the fire-resistance level (FRL)
and other requirements for building elements having Type C construction”. Performance Requirements CP1
aims to prevent the structure failure of building elements and those parts that they support. This is relative to
a building’s risk of fire ignition, anticipated fire severity, potential temperatures the elements are exposed to
and the consequence of failure associated with an element. Further to this, the assessment of a building must
ensure that structural stability is maintained for occupant evacuation and for fire brigade intervention
operations.
The intent of Performance Requirement CP2 is to reduce the spread of fire both within a building and between
buildings. The Guide to the BCA states that the intent of Clause C3.2 is “to require any opening in external
walls to be protected, only where the wall is required to have an FRL, to prevent the spread of fire from the
boundary of an adjoining allotment, or one building to another on the same allotment”.
Figure 7-1: Location of DtS Non-Compliant Openings and Construction
7.2.4 Performance Solution

The Performance Solution shall rely on the fact that the Display Suite is to be a single-storey temporary
structure alongside unoccupied buildings whereby the likelihood of ignition sources is expected to be
negligible. The building’s small floor area and open plan assists in pre-movement time, whilst the minimal
population shall be managed by staff present.
7.2.5 Fire Engineering Analysis

The Performance Requirements can be considered to be satisfied when fire spread both from and to the
Display Suite building is assessed.
Fire Spread from an Adjacent Building to the Display Suite
The intent of considering fire spread from the site boundary instead of between specific buildings is because
a building on an adjacent lot can be subject to future change and development. Hence, any assumptions for
the site being considered may not hold true for the entirety of the building’s life. However, the function of the
Display Suite is to provide a temporary showroom building. As such, during the time of its intended use, the
neighbouring buildings are expected to remain unchanged.
Additionally, these adjacent buildings are vacant, and thus will not pose a threat in regard to ignition sources,
nor will activities be conducted within those buildings that may cause increased the likelihood of a fire.
Additionally, a reduced fire risk is expected to the south where the external walls are within 3 m of the site
boundary, but no buildings are present. The risk of a fire beginning in these adjacent buildings and impacting
upon the Display Suite building is then seen to be reduced to a level that is equivalent or improved to that
encountered within a DtS compliant scenario. Performance Solution CP2 can then be seen to be addressed.
Due to the largely open plan nature of the space and the minimal floor area of 344 m², it is anticipated that
should a fire occur that has the potential to impact the Display Suite building, occupants will be alerted to the
presence of a fire with minimal delay, resulting in a low pre-movement time. Given the retail nature of the
space, occupants within the building will be awake and alert, and can be relied upon to promptly evacuate
under the direction of the staff present once they become aware of a fire emergency. Occupants are seen to
be provided with compliant travel distances to an exit within the Display Suite building. Proulx [12] provides
data that the average travel speed of mobility impaired occupants is 0.8 m/s. By utilising a travel speed of
0.8 m/s, it is likely that it will take occupants 25 s to evacuate from the building once they have been alerted to
a fire emergency. Given the minimal floors area, the population within the Display Suite building is also
considered to be minimal which is expected to further assist in evacuation as queueing is unlikely to be an
issue. Occupants are provided with the ability to evacuate in the northern, western and southern directions,
reducing the risk of entrapment.
Furthermore, the Display Suite building is a single-storey structure and therefore the external wall does not
support any additional elements aside from the roof. Should a part of the building’s external wall be exposed
to the effects of a fire and collapse, the failure of elements is expected to be localised to the vicinity of the fire,
after occupants have egressed away from the area or evacuated from the building entirely. Elements of the
external wall are to be constructed from Colorbond Steel which, whilst not achieving an FRL, can be assumed
to not immediately fail in the event of exposure to a fire. Considering these factors, it can be assumed that
egress pathways will be maintained for occupant evacuation from the building before the exposed external
wall becomes structurally compromised. As a result, the intent of Performance Solution CP1 has been
addressed.
Fire Spread from the Display Suite to an Adjacent Building
Clause 5.1(b) of Specification C1.1 states that an external wall for a Type C construction building is not required
to achieve an FRL in the direction to outside. As such, the proposed design is compliant with respect to
considering fire spread from the Display Suite to an adjacent building. Nevertheless, it is discussed to
demonstrate that the solution proposed provides an appropriate level of safety.
As mentioned previously, the adjacent buildings are vacant and occupant presence within these buildings is
therefore not anticipated for the duration of the Display Suite’s intended lifetime. For this reason, the impact
upon the adjacent buildings is negligible as occupant life safety is not considered to be a factor.
In comparison to a typical Class 6 space that the DtS Provisions consider, the fuel loads and ignition sources
are reduced. The sales & display area will comprise a space more akin to an office, therefore being limited to
paper items, tables and chairs. For the display suites themselves, they are to include items typically found
within a unit – such as lounges, a bed, tables and chairs and a kitchen – to provide an indicative layout to
occupants. Whilst these constitute fuel loads that cannot be discounted from the analysis, the leading causes
of fires within retail areas are not present within this Display Suite building, such as but not limited to cooking
and heating equipment, smoking materials, and laundry appliances. For this reason, the risk of a fire within the
Display Suite building is expected to be reduced compared to a DtS compliant scenario. Further, the risk of
fire spread is not anticipated to be greater than that of a DtS compliant design given that the building’s space
will not consist of stored goods as it facilitates the movement of occupants as they inspect the display suites
and consult with the staff on hand.
In the unlikely event that a fire begins within the Display Suite building, the open plan nature of the Display
Suite building means that occupants are likely to be alerted to the presence of a fire within its early growth
phase. Combined with the provision of compliant travel distances to evacuate from the building, and the
presence of staff occupants, the successful evacuation of occupants is assumed to occur before egress
pathways become compromised. Thereafter, a fire within the Display Suite building will lead to structural failure
of elements, inclusive of the roof. In this case, the fire will then be provided with the ability to directly vent heat
to atmosphere before it can impact upon adjacent buildings.
7.2.6 Conclusions
It is demonstrated that the external walls of the Display Suite building are not required to achieve a fire-
resistance level as the risk of fire spread is comparative to that of a DtS scenario. As such, openings within
these external walls are not to be afforded protection in accordance with Clause C3.4.
The Performance Solution described herein has been assessed in accordance with A0.3(a)(ii) and A0.5(d) and
therefore complies with the requirements of A0.7 and Performance Requirements CP1 and CP2.
8 FIRE ENGINEERING REQUIREMENTS
8.1 OVERVIEW
The following are the design requirements, to be undertaken by others, to achieve
the nominated fire safety objectives of this report.
All other items not specifically addressed are to be in accordance with DtS provisions
Fire Engineering of the BCA or as accepted by the relevant authorities. Any change in this information
Requirements
to suit future building works or re-organisation will require further analysis to confirm
compliance with the regulations and this Fire Engineering Report.
Table 8-1: Summary of Fire Engineering Requirements
FIRE DETAILS STANDARD OF

ENGINEERING COMPLIANCE
REQUIREMENT
General
BCA DtS With the exception of the Performance Solution assessed herein BCA Section B,
compliance all other aspects relating to fire safety within the building are to C, D and E
comply with the Deemed-to-Satisfy provisions of the BCA.
Fire Resistance
Type of The building is required to be of Type C fire-resisting construction. BCA
construction A Performance Solution is provided to permit the external walls to Specification
not achieve a fire-resistance level. C1.1
 This is reliant upon no development occurring on the adjacent Performance
boundaries during the lifetime of the Display Suite. Solution
Protection of Openings less than 1.5 m or 3 m from a boundary are permitted to BCA DtS
openings omit prescriptive protection as required by Clause C3.2 and Provision C3.2
outlined by Clause C3.4 of the BCA. Performance
 This is reliant upon no development occurring on the adjacent Solution
boundaries during the lifetime of the Display Suite.
9 NOMENCLATURE
ACRONYM EXPANSION
ABCB Australian Building Codes Board
AFSS Annual Fire Safety Statement
BCA Building Code of Australia
CFD Computational Fluid Dynamics
DtS Deemed-to-Satisfy
EPA Environmental Protection Agency
FCC Fire Control Centre
FER Fire Engineering Report
FIP Fire Indicator Panel
FRL Fire Resistance Level
FRNSW Fire Rescue NSW
FSS Fire Safety Strategy
IFEG International Fire Engineering Guidelines
NCC National Construction Code
NFPA National Fire Protection Association
OHS Occupational Health and Safety
RTI Response Time Index
10 REFERENCES
1. ABCB, “Building Code of Australia, Volume One”, CanPrint Communications, Canberra 2016.
2. ABCB, “Guide to the BCA 2016”, CanPrint Communications, Canberra 2016.
3. ABCB, “International Fire Engineering Guidelines”, ABCB, Canberra, 2005.
4. Alpert, Ronald L “Ceiling Jet Flows”, Chapter 2-2, The SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering
4th Edition, National Fire Protection Association, Quincy Massachusetts USA 2008, pp. 2-21-2-36.
5. Bryan, John L., “Behavioural Response to Fire and Smoke”, Section Three – Chapter 11, The SFPE
Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering, 4th Edition, National Fire Protection Association, Quincy
Massachusetts USA 2008.
6. BS 9999: Code of practice for fire safety in the design, management and use of buildings, October
2008.
7. England, J., “Guide for the design of fire resistance barriers and structures”, Building Control
Commission, Australia, 2000.
8. Evarts, B., “U.S. Structure Fires in Stores and other Mercantile Properties”, National Fire Protection
Association, Quincy MA, January 2011.
9. Fire Analysis Research Division, ‘Structure Fires by Occupancy’ 2007-2011 – Annual Averages’,
National Fire Protection Association, Quincy MA, April 2013.
10. “Fire Brigade Intervention Model V2.2”, Australasian Fire Authorities Council, October 2004.
11. National Fire Protection Association, ‘Fire Protection Handbook’, 19 th edition, Volumes I and II, 2003.
12. Proulx, G. Movement of People: “Evacuation Time”, Section 3-12, The SFPE Handbook of Fire
Protection Engineering (4th Edition), DiNenno, P.J. (ed.) National Fire Protection Association, Quincy,
MA 02269, 2008 pp. 3-355-372.
13. Spearpoint., M., “Fire Engineering Design Guide” Third Edition, New Zealand Centre for Advance
Engineering, May 2008.
14. Society for Fire Safety, NSW Chapter, “Practice Note for Tenability Criteria in Building Fires”, Version
2.0, Engineers Australia, April 2014.
15. Society of Fire Protection Engineers “Engineering Guide to Human Behaviour in Fire”, Review Draft
August 2002, The SFPE Engineering Guide to Human Behaviour in Fire, June 2002.
16. Society of Fire Protection Engineers, ‘Handbook of Fire Protection Engineers’, 3rd Edition, 2002.
17. Technical Report FCRC-TR 96-02: Building Fire Scenarios – An analysis of Fire Incident Statistics,
Fire Code Reform Research Program, March 1996.
18. Technical Standard, “NFPA 92B: Standard for Smoke Management Systems in Malls, Atria and Large
Spaces”, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), 2009.
APPENDIX A STATISTICS
FIRE STATISTICS
In order to assess the most likely fire hazards within the building, and subsequently the risk presented by these
hazards it is necessary to develop an understanding of the factors that have an influence on the fire safety of
building occupants. The best method in doing so is to review existing statistical data.
Existing data is an invaluable tool in providing an overview of the situations in which occupant deaths have,
and are likely to occur, and factors that contribute to more severe fires. This aids in understanding, and helps
evaluate the effectiveness of, and the need for various fire safety systems. Reference is made to the American
database as it is significantly larger than Australian data sets, but is generally considered to be representative
of the Australian situation.
Table A-1: Civilian fatalities in various occupancy types
FIRES PER CIVILIAN FATALITIES CIVILIAN FATALITIES PER

STRUCTURE USE
YEAR PER YEAR 1000 FIRES
Hospitals 1,288 0 0
Schools 4,060 0 0
Public assembly* 5,390 0 0
Eating and Drinking
7,480 3 0.40
Establishments
Retail/Department Store 1,150 1 0.87
Business offices 2,890 3 1.04
Manufacturing 5,303 7 1.32
Industrial 2,860 4 1.40
Stores/Other mercantile
10,210 15 1.47
properties
Hotels or motels 3,610 11 3.05
Apartments 106,380 410 3.85
Homes 260,180 2165 8.32
* Excluding Eating and Drinking Establishments and Religious and Funeral Properties.
Source: NFPA ‘Structure Fires by Occupancy 2007-2011’ Report [9]
Stores and other mercantile properties

The civilian fatality rates highlighted in Table A-1 show retail properties, stores and other mercantile properties
present a low risk to life in relation to the number of fires per year, compared to other occupancy types. This
is largely due to the characteristics of the building’s occupation; occupants are generally awake, alert and
capable of rational decision making, or are accompanied by someone who can be regarded as such, thereby
allowing early identification of and response to a fire threat.
Between 2004 and 2008, 16,360 structure fires were reported annually in stores or other mercantile properties
causing 13 civilian deaths and 242 injuries annually. Grocery stores or other stores selling food or beverages
accounted for more than a quarter of these fires according to the NFPA report by Evarts [8]. However, with
27% of this total, these fires lead to only 12% of the total civilian deaths.
Statistics taken from the NFPA report on “U.S. Structure Fires in Stores and other Mercantile Properties” by
Evarts [8] allow an analysis of the peak times that fires occur, death rates, the cause of fires and their area of
origin and the extent of fire spread, based on data from 2004-2008.
Page | A-1 www.coreengineering.com.au

Alarm time
Figure A-1 presents the percentage of fires by time of alarm. The figure shows fires are more common during
the day. The peak time for fires in these properties is between 09:00 and 21:00, accounting for 60% of fires.
However, the 12-hour night period of 21:00 to 09:00 still accounts for a large portion of the total fires (40%).
6%
5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5%
Percentage of total fires (%)
5%
4% 4% 4%
4%
3% 3% 3% 3% 3% 3% 3% 3% 3%
3%
2%
1%
0%
0000-0100
0100-0200
0200-0300
0300-0400
0400-0500
0500-0600
0600-0700
0700-0800
0800-0900
0900-1000
1000-1100
1100-1200
1200-1300
1300-1400
1400-1500
1500-1600
1600-1700
1700-1800
1800-1900
1900-2000
2000-2100
2100-2200
2200-2300
2300-0000
Figure A-1: Fires by alarm time for stores and other mercantile properties [8]
Causes of fires
Figure A-2 presents the leading cause of fire in stores and mercantile properties. The figure illustrates that
cooking equipment is the most probable cause of fires in these properties, accounting for 19% of fires.
Electrical distribution and lighting equipment was involved in 12% of the fires. And intentional ignition caused
11% of the total fires in these properties.
Exposure to other fire 5%
Smoking materials 9%
Clothes dryer or washer 9%
Intentional 11%
Heating equipment 11%
Electrical/lighting equipment 12%
Cooking equipment 19%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20%
Figure A-2: Leading causes of fires in stores and other mercantile properties [8]
Areas of fire origin

Figure A-3 presents data on the area of origin of fires in stores and mercantile properties. The most probable
area of origin is a kitchen or cooking area, accounting for 16% of fires. Another likely area of origin is the
laundry room or area, accounting for 5% of fires (likely due to the fact that laundries and dry-cleaning
businesses are included in this group of occupancies).

Exterior wall surface 3%
Office 3%
Trash or rubbish fire 3%
Bathroom/locker room 4%
Sales or showroom area 4%
Laundry area 5%
Storage area 7%
Cooking area 16%
0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16% 18%
Figure A-3: Leading areas of origin of fires in stores and other mercantile properties [8]
Extent of fire spread
Figure A-4 presents data on the extent of fire spread for stores and other mercantile properties. Three-quarters
(77%) of the fires were confined to the room of origin. 3% of fires spread beyond the building of origin.
It should be noted that the probability of whether a fire spreads beyond the room of origin is considered
approximately equivalent to the occurrence of that fire reaching flashover [7]. This is based upon the
reasonable assumption that if automatic or human/manual fire suppression was to occur to control fire growth,
that this is likely to only be effective if it is carried out prior to a fire spreading beyond the room of origin - due
to high risk to life safety in the room of origin and the fact that if a fire has spread from a room, it has most
likely fully involved the room of origin.
3%
17% Confined or contained fire identified by
32% incident type
Confined to object of origin
4%
Confined to room of origin
Confined to floor of origin

15%
Confined to building of origin
29%
Figure A-4: Extent of fire spread for stores and other mercantile properties [8]
FIRE LOAD
The fire load within a room or compartment will influence the duration and severity of a fire and resultant hazard
to occupants. The effective fire load for the building has been estimated by consideration of the typical spaces
within the building.
The following fire loads have been extracted from Chapter 3.4 of the International Fire Engineering Guidelines
[3] and are listed in Table 6-1. This data is derived from Switzerland, however is also applicable to buildings in
Australia of similar use.
Table A-2: Fire Load Densities
TYPE OF OCCUPANCY AVERAGE FIRE LOAD

Office, Business 800 MJ/m²

The IFEG indicates that for well-defined occupancies, average values should be multiplied by a factor of 1.35
to 1.65 to reach the 90% fractile value and for isolated peak values a factor of 2 should be used.
FIRE GROWTH RATE AND INTENSITY

As the fire increases in size, the rate of fire growth accelerates. The growth rate of a fire can result in various
hazards for occupants due to the following:
 Protective and preventative measures may not be adequate
 Occupants may have insufficient time to evacuate
 Occupants may perceive a reduced threat from slow growing fires
The rate of fire growth is generally expressed in terms of an energy release rate. The most commonly used
relationship is what is commonly referred to as a quadratic t-squared fire. In such a fire, the rate of heat release
is given by the expression:
𝑡 2
𝑄=( )
𝑘
Where:
 t = time from ignition of the fire (seconds);
 k = the growth time (seconds) for the fire to reach a heat output of 1.055 MW.
The continued growth of a fire defined by the above equation relies on both a sufficient source of fuel and air
and assumes that flashover has not been reached. The rate of fire growth can be estimated from the results
of a number of fire tests that have been performed on various fuel commodities.
National Fire Protection Association Standard NFPA 92B [18], provides information on the relevance of t-
squared approximation to real fire as depicted in Figure A-5.
(a) t-squared fire, rates of energy release (b) Relation of t-squared fires to some fire tests
Figure A-5: NFPA 92B Design Fires and Heat Release Rates
A slow fire growth is not considered to be the most challenging in terms of fire and life safety or fire brigade
intervention.
The continued growth of a fire defined by the above equation relies on both a sufficient source of fuel and air
and assumes that flashover has not been reached. The rate of fire growth can be estimated from data
published in British Standard (BS) 9999:2008 [6] as shown below.
Table A-3: Fire Growth Rates as Specified in BS 9999:2008
BUILDING AREA GROWTH RATE BUILDING AREA GROWTH RATE

PROVIDING FUEL PROVIDING FUEL
Reception area Slow Café Medium
Office Medium Meeting Room Medium
From the above table, it is concluded that the likely fire scenarios in this Display Suite building may be
approximated by the standard medium time-squared fire growth rate curve.

APPENDIX B ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY
Time Line Analysis

The aim of a time line analysis is to provide a method for determining if a performance based solution is
acceptable and ensures life safety in situation where travel distance, smoke extract and other non-compliance
issues exist in a building. The design evaluation depends upon a time-based comparison of the time available
for occupants to escape before conditions become untenable (Available Safe Egress Time – ASET) and the
escape time (Required Safe Egress Time – RSET). The ASET RSET relationship can be seen below.
Figure B-1: ASET – RSET TIME LINE
Available Safe Egress Time

The prediction of the ASET requires the use of fire modelling techniques, in this case computational fluid
dynamics software Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS). The geometry, design fire including the growth curves for
major toxic products, smoke and heat must be defined and base case fire scenarios developed for modelling.
The point at which it is deemed that the conditions within the enclosure have become untenable due to the
effects of fire and smoke is called the Tenability Criteria.
Required Safe Egress Time

The RSET is the time taken for the occupants to escape and depends upon the detection time, types of warning
systems and range of other factors related to occupant evacuation behaviour and movement. Broadly speaking
this evacuation behaviour can be broken down into two categories; Pre-movement behaviour and Travel
behaviour.
The pre-movement behaviour involves the response of occupants before they start to move toward an exit and
the time taken to recognise a fire cue. An important finding of behavioural research is that this time is often
longer than the travel time. The travel behaviour involves the movement of occupants into and through escape
routes taking into account congestion and flow rates through openings as well as typical walking speeds.
Required Safe Egress Time (RSET) = Alarm Time + Pre-Movement Time + Travel Time
Margin of Safety
An important consideration in any timeline analysis is the margin of safety (tmargin) and is represented by the
difference between the ASET (tASET) and RSET (tRSET) as shown in the following equation:
tmargin= tASET - tRSET
Typically for a base case scenario the following relationship must be satisfied:
tASET ≥ 1.5 x tRSET
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Cbus Property Pty Ltd

Suite 5, Level 5, 5 Martin Place

09 June 2017 | Final Issue | Report No. F200372_NMG Display Suite_FER_02

Fire Engineering Report

Report Revision History

02 09/06/17 Final Issue Sandro Razzi

BCA DTS DETAILS OF PERFORMANCE BASED SOLUTION

BCA DTS DETAILS OF PERFORMANCE BASED SOLUTION

FIRE DETAILS STANDARD OF

Page iii www.coreengineering.com.au

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY _________________________________________________________________ iii

2 PROJECT SCOPE ___________________________________________________________________ 4

3 PRINCIPAL BUILDING CHARACTERISTICS ______________________________________________ 6

4 DOMINANT OCCUPANT CHARACTERISTICS ___________________________________________ 11

5 FIRE HAZARDS AND PROTECTIVE MEASURES _________________________________________ 13

6 BCA DtS NON-COMPLIANCE ASSESSMENT ____________________________________________ 15

7 FIRE ENGINEERING ASSESSMENT ___________________________________________________ 16

8 FIRE ENGINEERING REQUIREMENTS _________________________________________________ 19

• Provides details of the project team

Principal Building • Defines particular construction details of the

Figure 1-1: Fire Engineering Report Process

1.2 FIRE SAFETY OBJECTIVES

1.2.1 Building regulatory objectives

1.2.2 Fire Brigade objectives

1.2.3 Non-prescribed objectives

1.3 REGULATORY FRAMEWORK OF THE FIRE ENGINEERING ASSESSMENT

1.3.1 Building Code of Australia

1.3.2 International Fire Engineering Guidelines

2.2 RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS

ROLE NAME ORGANISATION

2.3 SOURCES OF INFORMATION

DRAWING NO. DESCRIPTION ISSUE DATE

2.4 LIMITATIONS AND ASSUMPTIONS

3 PRINCIPAL BUILDING CHARACTERISTICS

3.2 SITE LOCATION

Figure 3-1: Newmarket Green Site Location Source: www.googlemaps.com.au

Figure 3-2: Newmarket Green Estate Plan Layout

3.3 SITE LAYOUT

Figure 3-4: Display Suite Site Plan on Existing Plot

Figure 3-5: Display Suite Site Plan & External Cafe

Figure 3-6: Display Suite Elevation from Northern Barker Street

3.4 BUILDING STRUCTURE

3.5 BCA ASSESSMENT SUMMARY

4 DOMINANT OCCUPANT CHARACTERISTICS

4.2 OCCUPANT NUMBERS AND DISTRIBUTION

BUILDING PART FLOOR AREA ESTIMATED POPULATION

4.3 OCCUPANT ATTRIBUTES

4.4 OCCUPANT FAMILIARITY

4.5 EMERGENCY TRAINING

5 FIRE HAZARDS AND PROTECTIVE MEASURES

5.2 FIRE HAZARDS

5.2.1 General Layout

5.2.3 Ignition Sources

5.2.4 Fuel Sources

5.3 PREVENTATIVE AND PROTECTIVE MEASURES

6 BCA DtS NON-COMPLIANCE ASSESSMENT

6.2 BCA DTS NON-COMPLIANCES AND PERFORMANCE SOLUTIONS

BCA DTS DETAILS OF PERFORMANCE BASED SOLUTION

7 FIRE ENGINEERING ASSESSMENT

7.2 PROTECTION OF OPENINGS AND EXTERNAL WALLS

7.2.1 Regulatory assessment

REGULATORY DESCRIPTION / DETAILS

7.2.3 Intent of the BCA