Elements of structure in buildings
Approved document B, Fire Safety, Volume 2, Buildings other than dwellinghouses (2019 edition), suggests an ‘element of structure’ is any of the following:
- A member that forms part of the structural frame of a building, or any other beam or column.
- A loadbearing wall or loadbearing part of a wall.
- A floor.
- A gallery (but not a loading gallery, fly gallery, stage grid, lighting bridge, or any gallery provided for similar purposes or for maintenance and repair).
- An external wall.
- A compartment wall (including a wall that is common to two or more buildings).
The guidance to requirement B3, paragraph 6.2, lists structures that are not considered to be elements of structure:
- The roof performs the function of a floor, such as for parking vehicles, or as a means of escape.
- The structure is essential for the stability of an external wall that needs to be fire resisting (e.g. to achieve compartmentation or for the purposes of preventing fire spread between buildings).
- The lowest floor of the building.
- A platform floor.
- External walls, such as curtain walls or other forms of cladding, which transmit only self weight and wind loads and do not transmit floor load.
NOTE: In some cases, structural members within a roof may be essential for the structural stability system of the building. In these cases, the structural members in the roof do not just support a roof and must demonstrate the relevant fire resistance for the building as required by the note to paragraph 6.1 (If one element of structure supports or stabilises another, as a minimum the supporting element should have the same fire resistance as the other element).
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Adaptive structures.
- Approved Document A.
- BRE Building Elements series (AP 243).
- Compression.
- Dead loads.
- Deflection.
- Detailed structural design.
- Dry riser.
- Elastic limit.
- Escape route.
- Fire and rescue service.
- Fire compartment.
- Fire damper.
- Fire detection and alarm systems.
- Fire door.
- Firefighting route.
- Fire protection engineering.
- Fire resistance.
- Joint fire code.
- Lean to.
- Live loads.
- Means of escape.
- Multi-storey structure.
- Protected escape route.
- Span.
- Stiffness.
- Structural principles.
- Structural vibration.
- Types of column.
- Types of structural load.
- Types of structure.
- Unprotected escape route.
- Wet riser.
Featured articles and news
ECA Industry Awards 2024 shortlist revealed
22 leading businesses from across the electrotechnical and engineering services sector.
Government unveils Skills England strategy
Skills England to transform opportunities and drive growth.
New Government Hub for York Given Planning Green Light
For up to 2,600 civil servants, due for completion by 2028.
Construction Skills Certification Scheme cards
July update on Professionally Qualified and Academically Qualified Person Cards.
BSRIA Briefing 2024, November 22
Sustainable Futures: Redefining Retrofit for Net Zero Living.
The CLC on driving competency in the retrofit sector
Previously published roadmap on skills for net zero.
The first labour government King's speech in fifteen years
Construction industry reactions, support and some concern.
CIOB Retrofit of Buildings Technical Information Sheet
What retrofit is, the approach to be taken and processes to be followed.
Adapting Historic Buildings for Energy and Carbon Efficiency
Historic England advice note 18, free download published.
10 retrofit projects revisited 10 years after completion.
Information orders, building liability orders and SPVs
Key BSA terms and how they impact special purpose vehicles.
Listed despite problems with its design.
Zen and the art of cycling exploration.
Design Council Homes Taskforce launched
To support government 1.5 million homes target within UK climate commitments.