Fire safety measures | Archive Titles

Potential implications of the amendments of Approved Document B on the cost of the services
Building type	Amendment	Indicative cost
1 & 2 Blocks of flats	Provision of ventilation systems for the smoke control of common escape routes;	Based on a 10-floor development
	Natural ventilation system comprising automatically opening vents	£2000 per floor per core
	Or mechanically pressurised system	£8000 per floor per core
3 Blocks of flats	Provide sprinkler protection to blocks of flats over 30 m high (to flats only, not common areas)	£17-23/m2 on the GIA
		Depends on the building height and the need for intermediate pumps and tank
4 Residential care homes	Provision of free swing closing devices on bedroom doors (based on one bed per bedroom)	£150-200/door
	Or provision of sprinkler protection in residential care homes with more than one bed per bedroom	£15/m2 on the GIA
5 Offices, shop and commercial, assembly and recreation	Include for: Warning people with impaired hearing, Emergency voice communication to allow evacuation of people waiting in refuges	This brings the document in line with other regulations, so on the basis that these are being provided, it is assumed there is no additional cost
6 Assembly and recreation	Provide for fire-fighting shafts in buildings between 7.5-18 m in height (fire-fighting lifts not required in shafts)
	Dry riser	£1500 per landing per core
	Natural ventilation system comprising a system of automatically opening vents	£2000 per floor per core
	Or mechanically pressurised system	£8000 per floor per core
7 Storage	Remove provision for fire-fighting shafts in buildings between 7.5-18 m in height (assume no fire-fighting lifts in shafts)
	Omit dry riser	£1500 per landing per core
	Omit natural ventilation system comprising a system of automatically opening vents	£2000 per floor per core
	Or omit mechanically pressurised system	£8000 per floor per core
8 Industrial/Storage	A maximum unsprinklered compartment size for a single-storey warehouse of 20,000 m² and/or 18 m high	£25-40/m2 for sprinkler system
		Depends on whether racking protection is required
9 Self storage	A maximum unsprinklered compartment size of 2000 m²	£25-35/m² for sprinkler system
		Depends on degree of cellurisation
10 All buildings other than dwelling houses	Discount an escape stair in buildings over 45 m with phased evacuation. Allowance for additional stair;
	Mechanical stair pressurisation ventilation system	£8000 per floor per core
	Assume wet riser	£2000-4500 per landing per core
		Depends on the building height and the need for intermediate pumps, tank and valving
11 All building other than dwelling houses	Provision of rising mains in escape stairs in all unsprinklered buildings over 30m tall in order to meet maximum distances from a fire main outlet
	Dry riser	£1500 per landing per core
12 All buildings	Provision of cavity barriers in floor voids	This brings the document in line with other regulations so on the basis that these are being provided, it is assumed there is no additional cost