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
An engaging and lively review of his professional life.
Sustainable heating for listed buildings
A problem that needs to be approached intelligently.
50th Golden anniversary ECA Edmundson apprentice award
Deadline for entries has been extended to Friday 27 June, so don't miss out!
CIAT at the London Festival of Architecture
Designing for Everyone: Breaking Barriers in Inclusive Architecture.
Mixed reactions to apprenticeship and skills reform 2025
A 'welcome shift' for some and a 'backwards step' for others.
Licensing construction in the UK
As the latest report and proposal to licence builders reaches Parliament.
Building Safety Alliance golden thread guidance
Extensive excel checklist of information with guidance document freely accessible.
Fair Payment Code and other payment initiatives
For fair and late payments, need to work together to add value.
Pre-planning delivery programmes and delay penalties
Proposed for housebuilders in government reform: Speeding Up Build Out.
High street health: converting a building for healthcare uses
The benefits of health centres acting as new anchor sites in the high street.
The Remarkable Pinwill Sisters: from ‘lady woodcarvers’ to professionals. Book review.
Skills gap and investment returns on apprenticeships
ECA welcomes new reports from JTL Training and The Electrotechnical Skills Partnership.
Committee report criticises UK retrofit schemes
CIOB responds to UK’s Energy Security and Net Zero Committee report.
Design and construction industry podcasts
Professional development, practice, the pandemic, platforms and podcasts. Have we missed anything?
C20 Society; Buildings at Risk List 2025
10 more buildings published with updates on the past decade of buildings featured.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme and certifications consultation
Summary of government consultation, closing 11 June 2025.
Deputy editor of AT, Tim Fraser, discusses the newly formed society with its current chair, Chris Halligan MCIAT.