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New engineering guide on fire safety for very tall buildings released

Codes and Standards

New engineering guide on fire safety for very tall buildings released

Topics include emergency egress, fire resistance, building envelope, suppression, detection, alarms, and smoke control.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | January 3, 2022
Empire State Building

Courtesy Pixabay

A new engineering guide, “Fire Safety for Very Tall Buildings,” is now available.

Topics featured include emergency egress, fire resistance, building envelope, suppression, detection, alarms, and smoke control, with new guidance on considerations for existing buildings, energy storage systems, aerial vehicle platforms, and unique building features such as observation decks and fireworks displays. Performance-based design and international practices are also included. 

The guide is a product of The Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), The International Code Council (ICC), and Springer, a global scientific and technical publisher.

“We know that very tall buildings impose unique fire protection challenges and require new engineering solutions above and beyond traditional methods,” said Nicole Boston, CAE, Chief Executive Officer, Society of Fire Protection Engineers, in a news release. “This engineering guide provides fire safety engineers and fire protection professionals with specific and necessary engineering principles to overcome the challenges of fire and to protect very tall buildings, their occupants, and first responders.”

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