DUBAI – The Fire Performance of Façades Working Group formed a breakout session during the Leaders’ Meeting at the 2018 CTBUH Middle East Conference. Chaired by Gary Strong, Global Building Standards Director, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the meeting clarified the focus of its mission.

The Working Group resolved to examine not only new buildings, but also the retrofitting / refurbishment of existing buildings, particularly with a view to improvements in fire safety. Members shared the conviction that greater research is needed to understand the materials science of the product combinations that could be used for façades. As part of this, the group resolved to give support to the great work of the University of Melbourne (Priyan Mendis and Kate Nguyen) and others in their field; and additionally, to develop greater respect for the fire community within the tall buildings industry.

Acknowledging that fire safety education is an issue, even at quite a basic level for the likes of architects, engineers, surveyors, project managers, developers, clients agents, etc., the group discussed the creation of a  “Back to Basics” guide. The guide would include commonly used fire-engineer terminology, a discussion of what fire engineering is, notable hazards/risks, etc., and include a kind of “fire safety roadmap,” advising when to consult specialists.

The Working Group reaffirmed the importance of continuing to promote the fact that CTBUH is a member of the International Fire Safety Standards (IFSS) Coalition