high-rise residential buildings

Fire protection solutions manufacturer, Advanced, has welcomed the amended Approved Document B of the Building Regulations as a “positive step in the right direction to improve fire safety in new high-rise residential buildings”.  

Published on 1 June 2022, Part B (Fire Safety) offers new improvements to fire safety guidance to ensure tall buildings are made safer in England, as part of a wider package of reforms. A ‘significant’ addition to the document is the mandatory requirement for new residential developments over 18m to incorporate an evacuation alert system, offering new clarity for those involved in the design or construction of residential developments.

The conversation around fire safety in high rise developments has never been more critical, and much attention is being given to the building materials used across large expanses such as façades and flat roofs. To achieve regulatory compliance, however, it’s crucial to pay attention to each and every detail. Will Wigfield, Product Manager – Building Envelope, ROCKWOOL UK, examines the fire safety implications of external amenities above ground level such as balconies, upstands and terraces, and discusses product certifications which help stakeholders to achieve the required performance.

New hub helps specifiers construct safe, comfortable and sustainable homes

Predictions suggest that an additional 9.3 million people will move to the UK’s cities by 20221, driving the trend for vertical construction to create more space for homes. In response, ROCKWOOL has developed a new high rise hub designed to support the specification of non-combustible stone wool insulation solutions for residential projects – ultimately helping specifiers to meet stringent fire safety, thermal and acoustic requirements while constructing high rise properties.
A central feature of the new hub is ROCKWOOL for High Rise Residential Projects, a comprehensive guide which explores the role of tall buildings in our society and focuses on key high rise topics including fire safety, thermal comfort, energy efficiency, acoustic performance and sustainability. Containing specific building regulations guidance as well as stone wool insulation case studies, advice and best practice, ROCKWOOL for High Rise Residential Projects is the go-to resource for high rise developers and specifiers.

New hub helps specifiers construct safe, comfortable and sustainable homes

Predictions suggest that an additional 9.3 million people will move to the UK’s cities by 20221, driving the trend for vertical construction to create more space for homes. In response, ROCKWOOL has developed a new high rise hub designed to support the specification of non-combustible stone wool insulation solutions for residential projects – ultimately helping specifiers to meet stringent fire safety, thermal and acoustic requirements while constructing high rise properties.

A central feature of the new hub is ROCKWOOL for High Rise Residential Projects, a comprehensive guide which explores the role of tall buildings in our society and focuses on key high rise topics including fire safety, thermal comfort, energy efficiency, acoustic performance and sustainability. Containing specific building regulations guidance as well as stone wool insulation case studies, advice and best practice, ROCKWOOL for High Rise Residential Projects is the go-to resource for high rise developers and specifiers.

Rochester-based balcony components manufacturer AliDeck made an important contribution last year to the national debate on fire safety in high-rise buildings with the publication of the Balcony Fires Report 2017 to 2020.
Collating data from UK Fire and Rescue Services on the prevalence and causes of balcony fires across the country, the report was shocking; at least 873 fires on balconies were recorded nationally across the period, with almost half of them caused by smoking materials such as carelessly discarded cigarettes.

In 2018, the Hackitt review required building managers to keep digital building records, from the design and conceptualisation phase through its life cycle. With the boom years of High Rise Residential Buildings (HRRB) development between 1953 and 1972, and with 6544 buildings erected in the half-century following the end of World War 2, nearly all of the remaining 270 HRRBs were built in a pre-digital age.

Thus, in 2021, complying with new design regulations while creating new digital records for those HRRBs presents a major challenge.

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