Performance-based design (PBD) in fire protection involves the use of engineering tools to develop fire protection solutions that consider the unique aspects of a building, facility, or process. This is done in order to develop a comprehensive fire protection strategy within the context of specific performance objectives.
Sometimes, the uniqueness of a building, facility, or process may make it difficult to implement conventional fire protection solutions based on prescriptive codes, or may not be technically or economically feasible, or their effectiveness cannot be guaranteed. In these cases, performance-based design can provide a satisfactory solution.
Examples of Fire Performance Design
Typical examples include:
- Retrofitting historic or heritage buildings.
- Building projects with complex and innovative architectural design.
- Special and critical industrial processes.
The practice of PBD requires that any proposed solution provide a level of safety and reliability equivalent to that expected if the prescriptive solution were followed. However, when PBD is employed, these objectives can be achieved in a more flexible manner, better meeting the needs of building owners, competent authorities, and insurers.
International Examples of PBD
Performance-Based Design is an important subset of the broader method that allows for flexibility within design and installation codes, known as “equivalence” methods or “alternative methods and materials.” International examples include:
- From the International Fire Code (2021): “104.10 Alternative Materials, Designs, and Methods of Construction: The provisions of this code are not intended to prevent the installation of any material or to prohibit any design or method of construction not specifically prescribed in this code, provided that such alternative has been approved. The fire authority having jurisdiction is authorized to approve an alternative material or method of construction when he or she finds that the proposed design is satisfactory and conforms to the intent of the provisions of this code, and that the material, method, or workmanship offered is, for the purpose intended, at least equivalent to that prescribed in this code in quality, strength, effectiveness, fire resistance, durability, and safety.”
- From NFPA-13 (2022): “1.5 Equivalence: Nothing in this standard is intended to prevent the use of quality systems, methods, or devices, power, fire resistance, effectiveness, durability, and safety equivalent to or superior to those prescribed in this standard.”
Performance Design in PCI: Technical Advances and Implementation Challenges
Continuing research to understand fire-related phenomena improves the engineering community’s ability to analyze and predict the performance of structures or fire protection systems. The use of analytical tools such as empirical models, finite element analysis, and computational fluid dynamics, along with laboratory and full-scale testing, has significantly improved the ability of fire protection professionals to develop performance-based solutions to complex fire protection problems.
Any proposed performance-based design solution requires buy-in from the competent authority and, frequently, also from the insurer, the building owner, and other stakeholders.
Ensuring that all participants understand and accept the performance and limitations of any proposed design requires clear and regular communication from the fire protection professional.
Review and Complexity in Fire Performance Design: Toward Comprehensive and Superior Solutions
Performance-based designs should undergo third-party review, referred to as peer review, as it is a complex discipline that requires in-depth knowledge of fire protection engineering concepts, the chemistry of fire, the materials involved, the fluid mechanics associated with smoke and gas movement, active and passive protection, human behavior during evacuation, and more. The review aims to verify that correct fire dynamics criteria have been followed, that the initial data are accurate, and that the conclusions obtained provide safety equivalent to or superior to prescriptive codes.
Performance-based design is rarely simple, and never easy, especially given the diversity of stakeholder views. However, for complex fire protection problems, applying this process can result in solutions with superior performance to the prescriptive solution, while eliminating undesirable or impractical features resulting from strict adherence to the prescribed design. These improvements are often achieved by integrating all fire protection systems rather than designing each component in isolation.
