‘A Gentle Whisper in Your Ear’

NIST WTC Recommendations 8-11 > New Design of Structures

Previous Posts in This Series …

2011-10-25:  NIST’s Recommendations on the 9-11 WTC Building Collapses … GROUP 1. Increased Structural Integrity – Recommendations 1, 2 & 3 (out of 30)

2011-11-18:  NIST WTC Recommendations 4-7 > Structural Fire Endurance … GROUP 2.  Enhanced Fire Endurance of Structures – Recommendations 4, 5, 6 & 7

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2011-11-24:  SOME PRELIMINARY COMMENTS …

  1.     The first of two NIST Publications being referenced in this Series of Posts is as follows …

NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology).  September 2005.  Federal Building and Fire Safety Investigation of the World Trade Center Disaster: Final Report on the Collapse of the World Trade Center Towers.  NIST NCSTAR 1.  Gaithersburg, MD, USA.

The 2005 NIST Report concludes, in Chapter 9, with a list of 30 Recommendations for Action, grouped together under the following 8 Subject Headings …

i)        Increased structural integrity ;

ii)       Enhanced fire endurance of structures ;

iii)      New methods for fire resisting design of structures ;

iv)      Enhanced active fire protection ;

v)       Improved building evacuation ;

vi)      Improved emergency response ;

vii)     Improved procedures and practices ;   and

viii)    Education and training.

NIST has clearly stated that “the numerical ordering (of the Recommendations) does not reflect any priority”.

From my point of view, the 2005 NIST Report is especially noteworthy for the emphasis placed on:

(a)     The 3 R’s … Reality – Reliability – Redundancy ;

(b)     Evacuation Way Finding … should be ‘intuitive and obvious’ … a major challenge for building designers, since buildings are still typically designed for ‘access’ only.  In order to find the evacuation routes in a building, it is usually necessary to have a compass, a map, a magnifying glass, a torch … and a prayer book !!!   More about this in later posts …

  2.     However, following on from NIST’s emphasis on Reality … and just between you, me and the World Wide Web … there is a lot of misunderstanding in the International Fire Science and Engineering Community about what exactly is the Realistic End Condition.  But, here it goes …

Realistic End Condition:  A ‘real’ fire in a ‘real’ building, which is used by ‘real’ people with varying abilities in relation to self-protection, independent evacuation to a ‘place of safety’, and participation in the Fire Defence Plan for the building.

It is strange, therefore … and quite unacceptable … to have to point out that the Realistic End Condition IS NOT … a test fire or an experimental fire in a laboratory … or a design fire in a computer model, even IF it is properly validated !

  3.     With regard to Recommendation 8 below … NIST’s contention that “Current methods for determining the fire resistance of structural assemblies do not explicitly specify a performance objective” is not strictly the case.

If we examine Technical Guidance Document B (Ireland) and Approved Document B (England & Wales) once again, as examples close to home … Part B: ‘Fire Safety’ in both jurisdictions should be read in conjunction with its associated Part A: ‘Structure’, which contains a requirement on Disproportionate Damage.

In everyday practice, however, this never happens.  Instead, people dealing with Part B in both jurisdictions enter a sort of bubble … a twilight zone … and, if there is anything to do with structural performance in fire, they immediately refer to the Appendices at the back of both Guidance Documents (ignoring Part A altogether) … where we find a ‘single element’ approach to design, no consideration of connections, etc., etc., etc.

And … this fundamental error is further reinforced in Ireland because, under the national system of Fire Safety Certification for buildings, it is only Part B which is relevant.

At European Level, I would make the same point … under EU Regulation 305/2011 on Construction Products … Basic Requirement for Construction Works 2: ‘Safety in Case of Fire’ must be read in conjunction with Basic Requirement 1: ‘Mechanical Resistance & Stability’ … where we will again find a direct reference to Disproportionate Damage … and an indirect, but explicit, reference to Serviceability Limit States under normal conditions of use … including fire !

A major gap … the missing link at international level … is the failure, still, to elaborate and flesh out the structural concept of Fire-Induced Progressive Collapse.  More about this in later posts …

  4.     With regard to Recommendation 10 below … and amplifying my earlier comments concerning Recommendation 6 … the manufacturers of all Lightweight Structural Fire Protection Systems … not just the Sprayed Systems … have a lot to answer for.

Major question marks concerning Life Cycle Durability, and Resistance to Mechanical Damage at any stage in a building’s life cycle, hang over all of these systems.

Fire testing, alone, does not show that a Lightweight Structural Fire Protection System is ‘fit for its intended use’ !   And manufacturers well know this !!!

And as for the Installation of Lightweight Structural Fire Protection Systems on site … it’s a hornets’ nest that nobody wants to touch !

Vested interests … vested interests … vested interests !!!

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2005 NIST WTC RECOMMENDATIONS

GROUP 3.  New Methods for Fire Resisting Design of Structures

The procedures and practices used in the fire resisting design of structures should be enhanced by requiring an objective that uncontrolled fires result in burnout without partial or global (total) collapse.  Performance-based methods are an alternative to prescriptive design methods.  This effort should include the development and evaluation of new fire resisting coating materials and technologies, and evaluation of the fire performance of conventional and high-performance structural materials.

NIST WTC Recommendation 8.

NIST recommends that the fire resistance of structures be enhanced by requiring a performance objective that uncontrolled building fires result in burnout without partial or global (total) collapse.  Such a provision should recognize that sprinklers could be compromised, non-operational, or non-existent.  Current methods for determining the fire resistance of structural assemblies do not explicitly specify a performance objective.  The rating resulting from current test methods indicates that the assembly (component or sub-system) continued to support its superimposed load (simulating a maximum load condition) during the test exposure without collapse.  Model Building Codes:  This Recommendation should be included in the national model building codes as an objective, and adopted as an integral pert of the fire resistance design for structures.  The issue of non-operational sprinklers could be addressed using the existing concept of Design Scenario 8 of NFPA 5000, where such compromise is assumed and the result is required to be acceptable to the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ).  Affected Standards:  ASCE-7, AISC Specifications, ACI 318, and ASCE/SFPE 29.

NIST WTC Recommendation 9.

NIST recommends the development of:  (1) performance-based standards and code provisions, as an alternative to current prescriptive design methods, to enable the design and retrofit of structures to resist real building fire conditions, including their ability to achieve the performance objective of burnout without structural or local fire collapse;  and (2) the tools, guidelines, and test methods necessary to evaluate the fire performance of the structure as a whole system.  Standards development organizations, including the American Institute of Steel Construction, have already begun developing performance-based provisions to consider the effects of fire in structural design.

This performance-based capability should include the development of, but not be limited to:

a.     Standard methodology, supported by performance criteria, analytical design tools, and practical design guidance;  related building standards and codes for fire resistance design and retrofit of structures, working through the consensus process for nationwide adoption;  comprehensive design rules and guidelines;  methodology for evaluating thermo-structural performance of structures;  and computational models and analysis procedures for use in routine design practice.

b.     Standard methodology for specifying multi-compartment, multi-floor fire scenarios for use in the design and analysis of structures to resist fires, accounting for building-specific conditions such as geometry, compartmentation, fuel load (e.g. building contents and any flammable fuels such as oil and gas), fire spread, and ventilation;  and methodology for rating the fire resistance of structural systems and barriers under realistic design-basis fire scenarios.

c.     Publicly available computational software to predict the effects of fires in buildings – developed, validated, and maintained through a national effort – for use in the design of fire protection systems and the analysis of building response to fires.  Improvements should include the fire behaviour and contribution of real combustibles;  the performance of openings, including door openings and window breakage, that controls the amount of oxygen available to support the growth and spread of fires and whether the fire is fuel-controlled or ventilation-controlled;  the floor-to-floor flame spread;  the temperature rise in both insulated and un-insulated structural members and fire barriers;  and the structural response of components, sub-systems, and the total building system due to the fire.

d.     Temperature-dependent thermal and mechanical property data for conventional and innovative construction materials.

e.     New test methods, together with associated conformance assessment criteria, to support the performance-based methods for fire resistance design and retrofit of structures.  The performance objective of burnout without collapse will require the development of standard fire exposures that differ from those currently used.

Affected National and International Standards:  ASCE-7, AISC Specifications, ACI 318, and ASCE/SFPE 29 for fire resistance design and retrofit of structures;  NFPA, SFPE, ASCE, and ISO TC92 SC4 for building-specific multi-compartment, multi-floor design basis fire scenarios;  and ASTM, NFPA, UL, and ISO for new test methods.  Model Building Codes:  The performance standards should be adopted as an alternative method in model building codes by mandatory reference to, or incorporation of, the latest edition of the standard.

NIST WTC Recommendation 10.

NIST recommends the development and evaluation of new fire resisting coating materials, systems, and technologies with significantly enhanced performance and durability to provide protection following major events.  This could include, for example, technologies with improved adhesion, double-layered materials, intumescent coatings, and more energy absorbing SFRM’s.*  Consideration should be given to pre-treatment of structural steel members with some type of mill-applied fire protection to minimize the uncertainties associated with field application and in-use damage.  If such an approach were feasible, only connections and any fire protection damaged during construction and fit-out would need to be field-treated.  Affected Standards:  Technical barriers, if any, to the introduction of new structural fire resisting materials, systems and technologies should be identified and eliminated in the AIA MasterSpec, AWCI Standard 12 and ASTM standards for field inspection, conformance criteria, and test methods.  Model Building Codes:  Technical barriers, if any, to the introduction of new structural fire resisting materials, systems, and technologies should be eliminated from the model building codes.

[ * F-34  Other possibilities include encapsulation of SFRM by highly elastic energy absorbing membranes or commodity grade carbon fibre or other wraps.  The membrane would remain intact under shock, vibration, and impact but may be compromised in a fire, yet allowing the SFRM to perform its thermal insulation function.  The carbon wrap would remain intact under shock, vibration, and impact, and possibly under fire conditions as well.]

NIST WTC Recommendation 11.

NIST recommends that the performance and suitability of advanced structural steels, reinforced and pre-stressed concrete, and other high-performance material systems be evaluated for use under conditions expected in building fires.  This evaluation should consider both presently available and new types of steels, concrete, and high-performance materials to establish the properties (e.g. yield and ultimate strength, modulus, creep behaviour, and failure) that are important for fire resistance, establish needed test protocols and acceptance criteria for such materials and systems, compare the performance of newer systems to conventional systems, and the cost-effectiveness of alternative approaches.  Technical and standards barriers to the introduction and use of such advanced steels, concrete, and other high-performance material systems should be identified and eliminated, or at least minimized, if they are found to exist.  Affected Standards:  AISC Specifications and ACI 318.  Technical barriers, if any, to the introduction of these advanced systems should be eliminated in ASTM E 119, NFPA 251, UL 263, ISO 834.  Model Building Codes:  Technical barriers, if any, to the introduction of these advanced systems should be eliminated from the model building codes.

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Tags: 2005 NIST WTC RECOMMENDATIONS, A 'real' fire in a 'real' building which is used by 'real' people with varying abilities, a major challenge for building designers, A major gap ... the missing link at international level, ability to achieve the performance objective of burnout without structural or local fire collapse, adopted as an integral pert of the fire resistance design for structures, AIA MasterSpec, AISC Specifications, American Institute of Steel Construction, an indirect but explicit reference to Fire Serviceability Limit States, an objective that uncontrolled fires result in burnout without partial or global (total) collapse, Approved Document B (England & Wales), as an alternative to current prescriptive design methods, ASCE, ASTM standards for field inspection conformance criteria and test methods, Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), AWCI Standard 12, Basic Requirement for Construction Works 2: 'Safety in Case of Fire' must be read in conjunction with Basic Requirement 1: 'Mechanical Resistance & Stability', buildings are still typically designed for 'access' only, Built Environment, Client Organizations, computational models and analysis procedures for use in routine design practice, Consideration should be given to pre-treatment of structural steel members with some type of mill-applied fire protection, Current methods for determining the fire resistance of structural assemblies do not explicitly specify a performance objective, Design Scenario 8 of NFPA 5000, developing performance-based provisions to consider the effects of fire in structural design, Disproportionate Damage, Education and training, encapsulation of SFRM by highly elastic energy absorbing membranes or commodity grade carbon fibre or other wraps, England & Wales, Enhanced active fire protection, Enhanced fire endurance of structures, EU, EU Regulation 305/2011 on Construction Products, european union, Evacuation Way Finding ... should be 'intuitive and obvious', evaluation of the fire performance of conventional and high-performance structural materials, Federal Building and Fire Safety Investigation of the World Trade Center Disaster, Final Report on the Collapse of the World Trade Center Towers, Fire Engineering Design, Fire Safety, Fire testing alone does not show that a Lightweight Structural Fire Protection System is 'fit for its intended use' !, floor-to-floor flame spread, following on from NIST's emphasis on Reality, GROUP 1. Increased Structural Integrity - Recommendations 1 2 & 3 (out of 30), GROUP 2. Enhanced Fire Endurance of Structures - Recommendations 4 5 6 & 7, GROUP 3. New Methods for Fire Resisting Design of Structures, grouped together under the following 8 Subject Headings, if there is anything to do with structural performance in fire, Improved building evacuation, Improved emergency response, Improved procedures and practices, In order to find the evacuation routes in a building, Increased structural integrity, Installation of Lightweight Structural Fire Protection Systems on site, Ireland, ISO TC92 SC4, it is usually necessary to have a compass a map a magnifying glass a torch ... and a prayer book !!!, it's a hornets' nest that nobody wants to touch !, Life Cycle Durability, Lightweight Structural Fire Protection Systems, methodology for evaluating thermo-structural performance of structures, methodology for rating the fire resistance of structural systems and barriers under realistic design-basis fire scenarios, multi-compartment multi-floor fire scenarios for use in the design and analysis of structures to resist fires, national system of Fire Safety Certification for buildings, New methods for fire resisting design of structures, NFPA, NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology), NIST NCSTAR 1, NIST recommends that the fire resistance of structures be enhanced, NIST recommends that the performance and suitability of advanced structural steels, NIST recommends the development and evaluation of new fire resisting coating materials, NIST recommends the development of: (1) performance-based standards and code provisions, NIST WTC Recommendation 10, NIST WTC Recommendation 11, NIST WTC Recommendation 8, NIST WTC Recommendation 9, NIST WTC Recommendations 4-7 - Structural Fire Endurance, NIST WTC Recommendations 8-11 > New Design of Structures, NIST's Recommendations on the 9-11 WTC Building Collapses, no consideration of connections, only connections and any fire protection damaged during construction and fit-out would need to be field-treated, or a design fire in a computer model even IF it is properly validated, Part B: 'Fire Safety' in both jurisdictions should be read in conjunction with Part A: 'Structure', people dealing with Part B in both jurisdictions enter a sort of bubble ... a twilight zone, People with Activity Limitations (2001 WHO ICF), Performance-based methods are an alternative to prescriptive design methods, Personnes à Performances Réduites (2001 WHO ICF), Publicly available computational software to predict the effects of fires in buildings, Realistic End Condition, reinforced and pre-stressed concrete and other high-performance material systems be evaluated for use under conditions expected in building fires, Resistance to Mechanical Damage at any stage in a building's life cycle, SFPE, should be identified and eliminated or at least minimized if they are found to exist, significantly enhanced performance and durability to provide protection following major events, Such a provision should recognize that sprinklers could be compromised, Sustainable Human & Social Development, Technical and standards barriers to the introduction and use of such advanced steels, Technical Control of Construction, Technical Guidance Document B (Ireland), technologies with improved adhesion double-layered materials intumescent coatings and more energy absorbing SFRM's, Temperature-dependent thermal and mechanical property data for conventional and innovative construction materials, The 2005 NIST Report concludes in Chapter 9 with a list of 30 Recommendations for Action, the 2005 NIST Report is especially noteworthy for the emphasis placed on, The 3 R's ... Reality - Reliability - Redundancy, the assembly (component or sub-system) continued to support its superimposed load (simulating a maximum load condition) during the test exposure without collapse, the development and evaluation of new fire resisting coating materials and technologies, the development of standard fire exposures that differ from those currently used, the failure still to elaborate and flesh out the structural concept of Fire-Induced Progressive Collapse, The issue of non-operational sprinklers could be addressed, the numerical ordering (of the Recommendations) does not reflect any priority, The procedures and practices used in the fire resisting design of structures, The rating resulting from current test methods, the Realistic End Condition IS NOT ... a test fire or an experimental fire in a laboratory, the temperature rise in both insulated and un-insulated structural members and fire barriers, the tools guidelines and test methods necessary to evaluate the fire performance of the structure as a whole system, there is a lot of misunderstanding in the International Fire Science and Engineering Community, they are referred to the Appendices at the back of both Guidance Documents ... where we find a 'single element' approach to design, this fundamental error is further reinforced in Ireland, This Recommendation should be included in the national model building codes as an objective, to enable the design and retrofit of structures to resist real building fire conditions, to minimize the uncertainties associated with field application and in-use damage, to support the performance-based methods for fire resistance design and retrofit of structures, United States of America, varying abilities in relation to self-protection independent evacuation to a 'place of safety' and participation in the Fire Defence Plan for the building, Vested interests ... vested interests ... vested interests !!!, whether the fire is fuel-controlled or ventilation-controlled

Sustainable Fire Engineering – IABSE Lecture 1 December 2011

2011-11-14 …

On Thursday evening, 1st December 2011, at 19.00 hrs … in the Dublin Institute of Technology … I will present an IABSE-Ireland Sponsored Lecture on the subject: ‘Sustainable Fire Engineering IS THE FUTURE !’.

This Presentation has been in continuous development across a snaking international path … Dubayy (UAE) in 2008 … Lund (Sweden) and Bengaluru (India) in 2009 … Dilli (India), Zurich (Switzerland) and Dublin (Ireland) in 2010 … Paris (France), the IFE’s International Fire Conference in Cardiff (Wales) and the ASFP-Ireland Fire Seminar in 2011 … and on 1 December next, in Dublin, I will be introducing some tough new realities for fire engineering generally … not just in Ireland …

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IABSE Irish National Group Sponsored Lecture

Dublin Institute of Technology, Bolton Street – Michael O’Donnell Room (259)

Thursday, 1 December 2011 @ 19.00 hrs / 7.00 p.m.

CJ Walsh: Sustainable Fire Engineering IS THE FUTURE !  (Lecture Flyer, PDF File, 259 kb)

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The aim of Sustainable Fire Engineering is to realize a safe and sustainable built environment.

Responding ethically, in built and/or wrought form, to the still evolving concept of sustainable human and social development … a principal objective of Sustainable Fire Engineering is to design for maximum credible fire and user scenarios … in order to maintain a proper and satisfactory level of fire safety and protection over the full life cycle of, for example, a building … and for a Sustainable Building, that life cycle is 100 years minimum.

Sustainable Fire Engineering must, therefore, be ‘reliability-based’ & ‘person-centred’.

This presentation will examine the authentic language and meaning of sustainability … and will then track how this impacts on the professional practice of fire engineering.  Special mention will be made of Fire-Induced Progressive Collapse.

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See you all there !   And I will be looking forward to a lot of challenging feedback on the night !!

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‘Priory Hall’, Fire Engineering & Protecting Society’s Interests ??

2011-10-23:  Further to my post, dated 18 October 2011 …

Has anybody’s interests been protected by what has happened at the ‘Priory Hall’ Apartment Development, in Donaghmede, Dublin 13 ?   NO.

Now that the buildings there have been completed … will it be possible to effectively repair the most serious fire protection, sound transmission and energy conservation problems with the buildings ??   NO.

At the heart of these problems lie Fundamental Design and Construction Flaws … because, back in the 1990′s and early 2000′s, indigenous builders of simple two storey semi-detached houses suddenly became ‘developers’ of apartment complexes … and these were very different building animals altogether, requiring a degree of technical competence well beyond their reach.  And, of course, during the actual construction process everything had to be finished ‘yesterday’, and as cheaply as possible (a policy of cheap product substitution was the un-stated national norm !).  In fact, so many corners were cut on Irish Building Sites, at the time, that we should refer to almost the entire construction output from this era as: The Celtic Tiger Round Towers !

And guess who is going to carry out the Corrective/Repair/Refurbishment Works at ‘Priory Hall’ ?   The very same Construction Organization which created the mess in the first place !!   Can you believe it ??

Furthermore … once these Corrective/Repair/Refurbishment Works are eventually finished … the performance of the Fire Protection Measures in ‘Priory Hall’ will still be compromised, because you can only do so much, physically, when a building is completed.  BUT … it would be possible to achieve a Proper Level of Fire Safety in ‘Priory Hall’ … by installing a Fire Suppression System (sprinklers or mist) throughout the development.  That’s what it will take !!

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WHO IS PROTECTING SOCIETY ?

So extensive is the damage caused by fire … throughout Europe … that not all of the Direct and Indirect Fire Losses have yet been identified.

Pause, to consider this definition …

Environmental Impact:  Any effect caused by a given activity on the environment, including human health, safety and welfare, flora, fauna, soil, air, water, and especially representative samples of natural ecosystems, climate, landscape and historical monuments or other physical structures, or the interactions among these factors; it also includes effects on accessibility, cultural heritage or socio-economic conditions resulting from alterations to those factors.

And this means, of course, that our current Fire Loss Data and Statistics are unreliable.

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It is not well known, or widely publicised, that the Fire Safety Objectives of Building Regulations are limited to protecting building occupants.  The Objectives are only concerned with protecting property, insofar as it is relevant to the protection of those building occupants.

Can you image the look of astonishment on the face of a Managing Director, after his/her factory has been entirely destroyed by a fire, when told by a fire consultant …

” We complied with Part B of the Building Regulations, and here is your Fire Safety Certificate to prove it”  ??

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What should be happening instead ?

     1.  Fire Engineering Design & Practice cannot … and must not … be concerned merely with the ‘cost-effective’ compliance with minimal (which they most certainly are !) Fire Safety Objectives mandated by Building Legislation.

     2.  To properly protect the interests of Society and Clients/Client Organizations … Fire Engineering Design & Practice must also take into account: Safety at Work Legislation; Rights, Equality & Anti-Discrimination Legislation; Environmental Impact Legislation; Public Procurement Legislation; Product Liability Legislation; etc., etc.

     3.  There is an evolving realization in Ethical Fire Engineering Design & Practice, however, that there is still a significant gap to be bridged.  There is no legislation (effective, or otherwise) yet in place, anywhere, which deals with such issues as …

• Resistance to Fire-Induced Progressive Collapse – as very strongly recommended in the 2005 & 2008 U.S. NIST Final Reports on the 9-11 World Trade Center Building 1, 2 & 7 Collapses ;
• Protection of Vulnerable Building Users in ‘Situations of Risk’ – as required, for example, by Article 11 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) ;
• Safety of Firefighters/Rescue Teams – as specified in Basic Requirement for Construction Works No.2, in Annex I of European Union Construction Product Regulation 305/2011 ;
• Adaptation to Climate Change and Severe Weather Events – the Developed World Economies appear to have no interest, whatsoever, in these issues ;
• Sustainable Human & Social Development !

     4.  We must clearly distinguish, therefore, between the Fire Safety Objectives of Building Regulations/Codes … and Project-Specific Fire Engineering Design Objectives.  This difference must be fully understood by the Fire Engineer himself/herself … and then, in all circumstances, properly explained to the Client/Client Organization.

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In designing a Building for conditions of fire, and its aftermath … which may take place at any time during the Life Cycle of that Building … Project-Specific Fire Engineering Design Objectives should cover the following spectrum of concerns … in order to properly protect the interests of Society and our Clients/Client Organizations …

  -   Protection of the Health & Safety of All Building Users … including People with Activity Limitations (2001 WHO ICF), visitors to the building who may be unfamiliar with its layout, and contractors or product/service suppliers temporarily engaged in work or business transactions on the premises ;

  -   Protection of Property … including the building, its contents, and adjoining or adjacent properties … from loss or damage ;

  -   Protection of the Health & Safety of Firefighters, Rescue Teams & Other Emergency First Response Personnel ;

  -   Facility, Ease & Efficient Cost of Carrying Out Effective Reconstruction, Refurbishment or Repair Works after a Fire ;

  -   Sustainability of the Human Environment (social, built, virtual, economic, …) – including Fitness for Intended Use and Life Cycle Costing of fire engineering related products, components, systems, etc., fixed, installed or incorporated in the building ;

  -   Protection of the Natural Environment from Harm, i.e. Adverse Impacts.

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CRIMINAL RESPONSE TO 1981 DUBLIN STARDUST TRAGEDY !

As I write … a stampede has just commenced by the various Construction-Related Professional Institutes and Organizations … to demand closer independent monitoring of what is happening on Irish Building Sites.  Far too little … and definitely, far too late !   Back in the early 1990′s, everybody stood by … and co-operated with the installation of an entirely ineffective and dysfunctional system of National Building Control in Ireland … which, let us not forget, survives intact to this day … while, at the same time, the strong long-established and well-resourced Building Control Sections in Dublin and Cork were being quietly dismantled.

The Minister for the Environment, Community & Local Government, Mr. Phil Hogan T.D. … is also chirping in from his ivory tower !

Crocodile Tears !!

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Take a Fire Safety Certificate for a Building, for example …

With or Without Conditions … this document confirms that the Local Building Control/Fire Authority is satisfied that the Design Documentation for that building shows proper compliance with the Legal Requirements of Part B of the Irish Building Regulations.

Focus in on the relevant wording of a Fire Safety Certificate, which is as follows …

‘ … hereby certify that the works or building to which the application relates, will, if constructed in accordance with the plans, calculations, specifications and particulars submitted, comply with the requirements of Part B of the Second Schedule to the Building Regulations 1997 to 2008.’

Fire Safety Related Inspections of Construction Projects are not carried out by Competent Local Authority Personnel, or by Competent Independent Technical Controllers.  Therefore … a Fire Safety Certificate cannot give, and is not intended to give, any indication with regard to Fire Safety in the Completed Building.  The ‘Fire’ Establishment in Ireland knows full well that this is the situation !

Is this any sort of a reasonable, caring or competent response to the 1981 Stardust Discotheque Fire Tragedy in Dublin ??

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END

Tags: 'Priory Hall' Apartment Development in Donaghmede Dublin 13, 'Priory Hall' Fire Engineering & Protecting Society's Interests ??, ... and Project-Specific Fire Engineering Design Objectives, a Fire Safety Certificate cannot give and is not intended to give any indication with regard to Fire Safety in the Completed Building, a policy of cheap product substitution was the un-stated national norm !, a stampede has just commenced by the various Construction-Related Professional Institutes and Organizations, Adaptation to Climate Change and Severe Weather Events, after his/her factory has been entirely destroyed by a fire, also chirping in from his ivory tower, and co-operated with the installation of an entirely ineffective and dysfunctional system of National Building Control in Ireland, and must not ... be concerned merely with the 'cost-effective' compliance with minimal Fire Safety Objectives mandated by Building Legislation, Article 11 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), as cheaply as possible, as very strongly Recommended in the 2005 & 2008 U.S. NIST Final Reports on the 9-11 World Trade Center Building 1 2 & 7 Collapses, At the heart of these problems lie Fundamental Design and Construction Flaws, at the same time the strong long-established and well-resourced Building Control Sections in Dublin and Cork were being quietly dismantled, back in the 1990's and early 2000's indigenous builders of simple two storey semi-detached houses suddenly became 'developers' of apartment complexes, Back in the early 1990's everybody stood by ..., Basic Requirement for Construction Works No.2 in Annex I of European Union Construction Product Regulation 305/2011, because you can only do so much physically when a building is completed, Built Environment, Can you image the look of astonishment on the face of a Managing Director, Client Organizations, Climate Change Adaptation, Competent Independent Technical Controllers, components systems etc. fixed installed or incorporated in the building, contractors or product/service suppliers temporarily engaged in work or business transactions on the premises, CRIMINAL RESPONSE TO 1981 DUBLIN STARDUST TRAGEDY !, Crocodile Tears !!, Developed World Economies appear to have no interest whatsoever in these issues, during the actual construction process everything had to be finished 'yesterday', Environmental Impact Legislation, EU, european union, Facility Ease & Efficient Cost of Carrying Out Effective Reconstruction Refurbishment or Repair Works after a Fire, Fire Engineering Design, Fire Engineering Design & Practice cannot ... and must not, Fire Engineering Design & Practice must also take account of Safety at Work Legislation, Fire Safety, Fire Safety Certificate for a Building, Fire Safety Related Inspections of Construction Projects are not carried out by Competent Local Authority Personnel, FireOx International, Fitness for Intended Use and Life Cycle Costing of fire engineering related products, Focus in on the relevant wording of a Fire Safety Certificate, guess who is going to carry out the Corrective/Repair/Refurbishment Works at 'Priory Hall' ?, human environment, if constructed in accordance with the plans calculations specifications and particulars submitted, In designing a building for conditions of fire and its aftermath, In order to properly protect the interests of Society and our Clients/Client Organizations, insofar as it is relevant to the protection of building occupants, International Legal Instrument, Ireland, Is this any sort of a reasonable caring or competent response to the 1981 Stardust Discotheque Fire Tragedy in Dublin ??, it would be possible to achieve a Proper Level of Fire Safety in 'Priory Hall' ... by installing a Fire Suppression System, not all of the Direct and Indirect Fire Losses have yet been identified, our Clients, our current Fire Loss Data and Statistics are unreliable, People with Activity Limitations (2001 WHO ICF), Personnes à Performances Réduites (2001 WHO ICF), Product Liability Legislation, Protection of Property, Protection of the Health & Safety of All Building Users, Protection of the Health & Safety of Firefighters Rescue Teams & Other Emergency First Response Personnel, Protection of the Natural Environment from Harm i.e. Adverse Impacts, Protection of Vulnerable Building Users in 'Situations of Risk', Public Procurement Legislation, requiring a degree of technical competence well beyond their reach, Resistance to Fire-Induced Progressive Collapse, Rights Equality & Anti-Discrimination Legislation, Safety of Firefighters/Rescue Teams, So extensive is the damage caused by fire ... throughout Europe, so many corners were cut on Irish Building Sites at the time, Sustainability Implementation, Sustainability of the Human Environment (social - built - virtual - economic ...), Sustainable Fire Engineering, Sustainable Human & Social Development, Technical Control of Construction, The 'Fire' Establishment in Ireland knows full well that this is the situation !, the Design Documentation for that building shows proper compliance with the Legal Requirements of Part B of the Irish Building Regulations, the Fire Safety Objectives of Building Regulations are limited to protecting building occupants, The Minister for the Environment Community & Local Government Mr. Phil Hogan T.D., The Objectives are only concerned with protecting property, the performance of the Fire Protection Measures in 'Priory Hall' will still be compromised, The very same Construction Organization which created the mess in the first place !!, then in all circumstances properly explained to the client/client organization, There is an evolving realization in Ethical Fire Engineering Design & Practice, There is no legislation (effective or otherwise) yet in place anywhere which deals with such issues as ..., there is still a significant gap to be bridged, these were very different building animals altogether, This difference must be clearly understood by the Fire Engineer himself/herself, this document confirms that the Local Building Control/Fire Authority is satisfied, to demand closer independent monitoring of what is happening on Irish Building Sites, To properly protect the interests of Society and Clients/Client Organizations, United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, visitors to the building who may be unfamiliar with its layout, We must distinguish between the Fire Safety Objectives of Building Regulations/Codes, we should refer to almost the entire construction output from this era as: The Celtic Tiger Round Towers, What should be happening instead ?, which may take place at any time during the Life Cycle of that Building, WHO IS PROTECTING SOCIETY ?, will it be possible to effectively repair the most serious fire protection sound transmission and energy conservation problems

Fixing ‘Priory Hall’ in Dublin – Practical Solutions Needed Now !

2011-10-18:  A large ‘can of worms’ has recently been opened in Ireland …

For the last few days, including today, I have been listening intently to Joe Duffy on the RTE Radio ‘Liveline’ Programme at lunchtime.  Joe is being very cautious because he cannot quite believe his ears … either about the unfolding harrowing events for occupants in ‘Priory Hall’, Donaghmede, Dublin 13 – a Private, Multi-Storey Apartment Development – or the tales and anecdotes about Irish Building Sites during the Celtic Tiger Years.

This will be of no consolation to anybody … but the big surprise, for me, is that there is so much public shock.  ‘Priory Hall’ is the Tip of the Iceberg !   Ireland’s current dysfunctional approach to the development of Our(!) Built Environment … has been designed (for want of a better word) in a chaotic, haphazard and malevolent way … to end up in exactly the sort of mess which we are all now witnessing in North County Dublin.

Just to be clear … what has been happening in the Irish Construction Industry, during the boom years, has been happening for twenty years all over the country … more precisely, since the introduction of Legal National Building Regulations, with NO Effective Building Control, in 1991 … and, before that again, in those parts of this jurisdiction, outside of the major urban areas having Legal Building Bye-Laws, and Effective Building Control, i.e. mandatory inspections by competent local authority personnel at the foundation level and drainage level of all building sites … and, depending on the type of project, occasional or frequent inspections above ground level.

[ 1991:  Statutory Instrument No.304 of 1991 - Building Control Act, 1990 (Commencement Order), 1991;  Statutory Instrument No.305 of 1991 - Building Control Regulations, 1991;  Statutory Instrument No.306 of 1991 - Building Regulations, 1991 ]

And the biggest joke of all … is that the sum of the many resources, both human and material, required to repair sub-standard construction throughout Ireland … will count as a positive contribution towards the economic indicator of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) !   FUBAR

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PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS NEEDED NOW

What I have not been hearing from the radio, or reading in the newspapers, is practical solutions.

Lest there be any doubt … this is one of the professional services we provide at Sustainable Design International !

So … how do we fix Priory Hall as the situation now presents itself … in such a way that, as soon as it is practicable, a satisfactory level of long-term safety, protection, convenience and comfort will be provided for the occupants of Priory Hall … and the social wellbeing of the local community, there, can be restored.

Afterwards … we can worry about who’s responsible, and about the reasons for the many ‘system’ failures in Ireland.

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FIXING ‘PRIORY HALL’ IN DUBLIN

The following list of practical suggestions … a simple roadmap … is addressed to the Owners and Occupants of Apartments in Priory Hall.

As they have a large vested interest in the problems of Priory Hall … either directly or indirectly … no assurances or undertakings should be accepted, on face value, from either Dublin City Council (DCC) or the Department of the Environment, Community & Local Government (DECLG) … or their representatives.

     1.  Informed Consent of Apartment Owners and Occupants

Demand that the Informed Consent of the Owner/Occupant of an Apartment is required, in writing, before any necessary Corrective/Repair/Refurbishment Works are carried out …

Informed Consent:  Consent freely obtained – without threats or improper inducements – after appropriate disclosure to a person of relevant, adequate and easily assimilated information in a form and language understood by that person.

     2.  ‘As Constructed’ Drawings & Specification of Entire Development

If they exist … we’re on the way !   But, if they don’t exist … and they may not … demand that an ‘As Constructed’ Survey of the Entire Development be carried out immediately.

Demand to see a copy of the Detailed ‘As Constructed’ Drawings, and Specification, for the Entire Development.

CHECK the adequacy of the Detailed Drawings and Specification !

At this stage, remember … all of the emphasis must now be placed on actual construction … not on paperwork !   The ‘As Constructed’ Survey Drawings and Specification are only a means towards a satisfactory end … that’s all !!

     3.  Failures to Properly Comply with Current Building Regulation Requirements A to M (Second Schedule to Irish Building Regulations)

Demand to see a Detailed Schedule of the many failures to properly comply with current Building Regulation Requirements, i.e. Parts A to M in the Second Schedule to the Building Regulations, as amended.

Do not entertain, even for a moment, any discussion about past legal building regulation requirements, which were in force at the time of initial design or construction !

An important point to note !   The Guidance Texts in, for example, Technical Guidance Document B: ‘Fire Safety’ are merely that … GUIDANCE !   This guidance is not infallible … and in a few respects, is entirely inadequate … for example, when dealing with the structural performance of buildings during conditions of fire, and the ‘cooling phase’ immediately afterwards … and the fire evacuation of people with activity limitations, in which case the guidance actually ensures that fire evacuation is made extremely difficult, if not prevented altogether !

Do not be sucked in to any conversations about what is stated, or not stated, in the Technical Guidance Documents.  This is irrelevant.  The Law mandates proper compliance with the Requirements !

Some people may even attempt to quote from the Building Regulation Approved Documents for England & Wales.  Just tell them to take a long jump off a short pier … suggest Howth Harbour !

Become very, very suspicious whenever there is a use of, or reference to, the term ‘Substantial Compliance’ !!

CHECK the adequacy of this Detailed Schedule !   And … ensure that it is Comprehensive !!

     4.  The Necessary Corrective/Repair/Refurbishment Works

Demand to see Full Detailed Information, in the form of annotated drawings and descriptive texts, etc., etc … on the exact nature, timetable and phasing of all of the Corrective/Repair/Refurbishment Works which are necessary to effectively solve the serious problems in the Development.

Beware of decorative solutions, which look good to a superficial visual inspection in ambient conditions … but don’t actually solve anything !

CHECK the adequacy of this Full Detailed Information !

     5.  Independent Technical Control of Construction Works

Demand only Category A Construction Execution of the necessary Corrective/Repair/Refurbishment Works …

Category A Construction Execution:

(a)  Supervision of the works is exercised by appropriately qualified and experienced personnel from the principal construction organization ;

(b)  Regular inspections, by appropriately qualified and experienced personnel familiar with the design and independent of the construction organization(s) … and other vested interests … are carried out to verify that the works are being executed in accordance with the design.

Demand receipt of a clear undertaking, in writing, that this will be the case … before any Corrective/Repair/Refurbishment Works commence.

And remember these words from the 2005 Final Report of the U.S. National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) on the 9-11 World Trade Center Tower Collapses …

” NIST urges state and local agencies to rigorously enforce building codes and standards since such enforcement is critical to ensure the expected level of safety.  Unless they are complied with, the best codes and standards cannot protect occupants, emergency responders, or buildings.”

CHECK the adequacy of the Proposed Method of Independent Technical Control during execution of the Corrective/Repair/Refurbishment Works !

     6.  Meeting & Discussion with Other Owners/Occupants

Do not act alone … meet the other Owners/Occupants, and discuss issues with them.  Share and collate all available information together.  Try to identify information gaps.  If you do not understand something … ask !

When, and only when, you are happy … signal your Informed Consent that works should commence.

     7.  Commencement of Corrective/Repair/Refurbishment Works

Visit the Construction Site Office regularly … to show that you are taking a keen interest in what is happening.  Keep your eyes and ears wide open.

Expect that you will not be permitted to just wander around the Site.  Construction Sites are one of the most hazardous ‘workplaces’ in this country !

CHECK the adequacy of the Independent Technical Control actually being undertaken.

Demand to be updated, regularly, and at the very least on the progress of Corrective/Repair/Refurbishment Works at your Apartment … in the Common Areas of your Block … and throughout the full extent of the Approach Routes to your Block Entrances and Exits.

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Advisory Note:  Should you, or the Residents’ Committee of your Building or Development, be concerned about any matter discussed in this Post … please contact C.J. Walsh  by e-mail: cjwalsh@sustainable-design.ie  or by phone: (01) 8386078 / +353 1 8386078.

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END  (for now, but to be continued soon !)

Tags: 'Priory Hall' is the Tip of the Iceberg !, 1. Informed Consent of Apartment Owners and Occupants, 2. 'As Constructed' Drawings & Specification of Entire Development, 2005 Final Report of the U.S. National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) on the 9-11 World Trade Center Tower Collapses, 3. Failures to Properly Comply with Current Building Regulation Requirements A to M (Second Schedule to Irish Building Regulations), 4. The Necessary Corrective/Repair/Refurbishment Works, 5. Independent Technical Control of Construction Works, 6. Meeting & Discussion with Other Owners/Occupants, 7. Commencement of Corrective/Repair/Refurbishment Works, A large 'can of worms' has recently been opened in Ireland, a Private Multi-Storey Apartment Development, a satisfactory level of long-term safety protection convenience and comfort will be provided for the occupants of Priory Hall, As they have a large vested interest in the problems of Priory Hall ... either directly or indirectly, Become very very suspicious whenever there is a use of or reference to the term 'Substantial Compliance' !!, before any necessary Corrective/Repair/Refurbishment Works are carried out, Beware of decorative solutions which look good to a superficial visual inspection in ambient conditions ... but don't actually solve anything, Building Regulation Approved Documents for England and Wales, Built Environment, CHECK the adequacy of the Detailed Drawings and Specification, CHECK the adequacy of the Independent Technical Control actually being undertaken, CHECK the adequacy of the Proposed Method of Independent Technical Control during execution of the Corrective/Repair/Refurbishment Works, CHECK the adequacy of this Detailed Schedule ... ensure that it is Comprehensive, CHECK the adequacy of this Full Detailed Information, Client Organizations, Construction Sites are one of the most hazardous 'workplaces' in this country, Demand only Category A Construction Execution of the necessary Corrective/Repair/Refurbishment Works, demand that an 'As Constructed' Survey of the Entire Development be carried out immediately, Demand that the Informed Consent of the Owner/Occupant of an Apartment is required in writing, Demand to be updated regularly, Demand to see a Detailed Schedule of the many failures to properly comply with current Building Regulation Requirements, Demand to see Full Detailed Information in the form of annotated drawings and descriptive texts, Department of the Environment Community and Local Government (DECLG), depending on the type of project occasional or frequent inspections above ground level, Do not act alone ... meet the other Owners/Occupants and discuss issues with them, Dublin City Council (DCC), Energy Performance of Buildings, fire evacuation of people with activity limitations, Fire Safety, fire service support infrastructure, FIXING 'PRIORY HALL' IN DUBLIN, Fixing 'Priory Hall' in Dublin - Practical Solutions Needed Now !, FUBAR, has been designed (for want of a better word) in a chaotic haphazard and malevolent way, has been happening for twenty years all over the country, how do we fix Priory Hall as the situation now presents itself, I have been listening intently to Joe Duffy, Ireland, Ireland's current dysfunctional approach to the development of Our(!) Built Environment, Joe Duffy on the RTE Radio 'Liveline' Programme at lunchtime, Joe is being very cautious because he cannot quite believe his ears, mandatory inspections by competent local authority personnel at the foundation level and drainage level of all building sites, necessary to effectively solve the serious problems in the Development, no assurances or undertakings should be accepted on face value, outside of the major urban areas having Legal Building Bye-Laws and Effective Building Control, Parts A to M in the Second Schedule to the Building Regulations as amended, People with Activity Limitations (2001 WHO ICF), Personnes à Performances Réduites (2001 WHO ICF), PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS NEEDED NOW, Share and collate all available information together, since the introduction of Legal National Building Regulations with NO Effective Building Control in 1991, Structural Fire Engineering, Sustainable Design International, Technical Control of Construction, the big surprise for me is that there is so much public shock, the biggest joke of all, the Common Areas of your Block, the exact nature timetable and phasing of all of the Corrective/Repair/Refurbishment Works, The following list of practical suggestions is addressed to the Owners and Occupants of Apartments in Priory Hall, The Guidance Texts in Technical Guidance Document B: 'Fire Safety' are merely that ... GUIDANCE, the social wellbeing of the local community there can be restored, the structural performance of buildings during conditions of fire and the 'cooling phase' immediately afterwards, the sum of the many resources both human and material required to repair sub-standard construction throughout Ireland, the tales and anecdotes about Irish Building Sites during the Celtic Tiger Years, the unfolding harrowing events for occupants in 'Priory Hall' Donaghmede Dublin 13, This guidance is not infallible ... and in a few respects is entirely inadequate, this is one of the professional services we provide at Sustainable Design International, throughout the full extent of the Approach Routes to your Block Entrances and Exits, to end up in exactly the sort of mess which we are all now witnessing in North County Dublin, United States of America, Visit the Construction Site Office regularly, what has been happening in the Irish Construction Industry during the boom years, will count as a positive contribution towards the economic indicator of GDP (Gross Domestic Product)

Public Procurement & ‘Design for All’ – It’s Crunch Time, Folks !

2011-10-12 & 2011-10-17:  Close your eyes … and imagine, for a split second, the value and material extent of all the Public Procurement Contracts being tendered for and awarded each week, throughout Europe.  ‘Enormous’ is the only appropriate word which must spring to your mind !   If you don’t believe me, check out the statistics for yourself !!   And that value is going to keep increasing !!!

The European Commission has recently proposed that suitable instruments be developed which will permit the operation of the Accessibility / Design for All Requirements in EU Public Procurement Directives to commence, with full effect.  This process is proving to be problematic … and it is certainly not as open and transparent as it should be.

Leaving aside the utilities sectors (water, energy, transport and postal services) … recall that EU Directive 2004/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, of 31 March 2004, on the Co-Ordination of Procedures for the Award of Public Works Contracts, Public Supply Contracts and Public Service Contracts had to be implemented, at national level in all of the EU Member States, no later than 31 January 2006.  This Directive was amended, in a minor way, by Directives 2005/51/EC and 2005/75/EC.  In spite of these amendments, 31 January 2006 remained the target date for national implementation.

[ Ireland's national implementing legislation ... European Communities (Award of Public Authorities' Contracts) Regulations 2006 ... came into operation on 22 June 2006.]

In addition, each Member State had to ensure that Directive 2004/18/EC was properly implemented by using effective, available and transparent Monitoring Mechanisms.

With regard to specific rules governing specifications and contract documents … Article 23.1 of Directive 2004/18/EC stated, and still does state …

‘ The technical specifications as defined in point 1 of Annex VI shall be set out in the contract documentation, such as contract notices, contract documents or additional documents.  Whenever possible these technical specifications should be defined so as to take into account accessibility criteria for people with disabilities or design for all users.’

Not the strongest possible language to encourage ‘accessibility’ … there’s nothing quite like a shall to concentrate minds !

[ However, in Ireland ... with regard to the same specific rules governing specifications and contract documents ... Section 23 (2) of the European Communities (Award of Public Authorities' Contracts) Regulations 2006 states ...

' In awarding a public contract, a contracting authority shall, as far as practicable, ensure that the technical specifications for the contract take account of the need to prescribe accessibility criteria for all persons who are likely to use the relevant works, products or service, particularly those who have disabilities.' ]

As already discussed in my post, dated 2 November 2010 … many people in the European Union Institutions would prefer to steer completely away from the Social Aspects of Sustainable Human and Social Development … fuzzy areas, not capable of easy quantification … leaving small, peripheral groups in the Institutions (neither well connected to the mainstream, nor fully aware of the ‘ins’ and ‘outs’ of that mainstream) to look after the Social Aspects.

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Public Procurement in the European Union (EU)

The Award of Public Works Contracts, Public Supply Contracts and Public Service Contracts concluded in the EU Member States on behalf of State, Regional or Local Authorities and other bodies governed by public law entities, is subject to the respect of Principles enshrined in the EU Treaties and, in particular, to …

• the principle of freedom of movement of goods ;
• the principle of freedom of establishment ;
• the principle of freedom to provide services ;   and
• the principles deriving therefrom, such as the principle of equal treatment, the principle of non-discrimination, the principle of mutual recognition, the principle of proportionality and the principle of transparency.

For Public Contracts Above A Certain Value … it has been deemed necessary to draw up provisions of Community Co-Ordination of National Procedures for the award of such contracts, which are based on these principles so as to ensure the effects of them and to guarantee the opening-up of public procurement to competition.

- Adapted from Preamble Paragraph #2, EU Directive 2004/18/EC

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Is Europe Serious about Implementing the Public Procurement Accessibility / Design for All Requirements ?

Before looking at how Accessibility / Design for All is being handled within the fast evolving European Public Procurement Framework … it is sobering to compare and contrast how DG Environment (ENV), in the European Commission, is promoting and actively supporting Green Public Procurement, i.e. Public Procurement which is environment-friendly … http://ec.europa.eu/environment/gpp/index_en.htm … no messing about there !

If we (speaking as a European) are serious, therefore, about the ‘real’ implementation of Accessibility for All / Design for All / Inclusive Design / Universal Design / Barrier-Free Design in the Built Environment … it is of fundamental importance that an easily assimilated Standard (as defined in Paragraph #2, ANNEX VI of Directive 2004/18/EC) be produced ‘on the table’ for reference by Public Contracting Authorities … NOW !!!

Built Environment:  Anywhere there is, or has been, a man-made or wrought (worked) intervention in the natural environment, e.g. cities, towns, villages, rural settlements, service utilities, transport systems, roads, bridges, tunnels, and cultivated lands, lakes, rivers, coasts, and seas, etc … including the Virtual Environment.

Virtual Environment:  A designed environment, electronically generated from within the built environment, which may have the appearance, form, functionality and impact – to the  person perceiving and actually experiencing it – of a real, imagined and/or utopian world.

The Built and Virtual Environments continue to merge into a new Augmented Reality.

A comprehensive document capable of answering a major portion of Europe’s current needs in this area is on the verge of being published as a full International Standard … ISO 21542: ‘Building Construction – Accessibility & Usability of the Built Environment’.  And … as is the case with hundreds of ISO Standards in other sectors, this standard could easily be approved by CEN, one of Europe’s Standards Organisations, as an EN (European Standard) … under the Vienna Agreement on Technical Co-Operation between ISO and CEN, which was confirmed by both organizations in 2001 … and the period to practical application of ISO 21542 on the ground would be relatively swift.

Every delay represents not only a precious opportunity missed to improve the Accessibility of the Built Environment … but another blatant Denial of Human and Social Rights to vulnerable groups of people in all our communities !

Yes, this document was badly managed at the beginning of its very long gestation period, and its contents were a bit of a mess for the first few years … AND European countries were indignant, then, at the prospect of it becoming a European Standard.  However, walking around any major city in any country in Europe today, and witnessing the universally appalling and miserable efforts at Accessibility Implementation … you would have to be outraged at the level of hypocrisy and blatant self-delusion practiced by Europeans !

BUT NOW … ISO FDIS 21542 … the Final Draft of the International Standard which was issued for voting, beginning on 22 September 2011 … is a very respectable looking document altogether.  It makes important statements about ‘creating a sustainable built environment which is accessible’.  Its purpose is ‘to define how the built environment should be designed, constructed and managed to enable people to approach, enter, use, egress from and evacuate a building independently, in an equitable and dignified manner and to the greatest extent possible’ … ‘principles which are supported by Preamble (g) and Articles 9, 10 and 11 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities’.  I could go on, and on … but I will resist the temptation, since I was heavily involved in the development of this ISO Standard !

The point is … there is no longer any reason for European countries to complain about the inadequacy of this International Standard … and it should be the preferred instrument of choice to facilitate the immediate operation of the Accessibility / Design for All Requirements in EU Public Procurement Directive 2004/18/EC.

Unfortunately, this may not happen !

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Years too late, near the end of 2007 … DG Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion (EMPL), in the European Commission, issued the following Mandate …

M/420 EN – Brussels, 21 December 2007

Standardization Mandate 420 to CEN, CENELEC and ETSI in Support of European Accessibility Requirements for Public Procurement in the Built Environment

Click the Link Above to read and/or download PDF File (67.4 kb)

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This Mandate covers 2 Phases of Work.  Phase I deals with compiling an inventory of existing accessibility-related standards and an analysis of any gaps … as well as with issues of accessibility implementation monitoring and conformity assessment.  Phase II is the actual accessibility standard(s) development phase.

However … Mandate M/420 EN is a flawed document, and it should have received much closer scrutiny from the European Standards Organizations named in the document title … before any work in Phase I commenced.  Failing that … the first work item on the Phase I Agenda should certainly have been a critical examination of the mandate.

In a post, dated 15 January 2011 … I wrote …

” The European Union’s Accessibility Strategy, related Policies and Programmes … and the monitoring, targeting and independent verification of Accessibility Implementation … all require a radical overhaul !

All those Officials in the European Commission who are involved, in any way, shape or form, with Accessibility of the ‘Human Environment’ would do well to RE-READ AND MEDITATE DEEPLY on the contents of the 2003 Final Report from the Group of Accessibility Experts, which was established by the European Commission itself … “

The Final Report from the 2003 EU Group of Accessibility Experts, of which I was a Member, can be downloaded towards the end of that post.

The Officials who drafted Commission Mandate M/420 EN paid little, if any, attention to that 2003 Expert Group Report.

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At the end of Phase I … in response to the European Commission’s Mandate M/420 EN … a long, rambling CEN Joint Report (document ref. CEN/BT/WG 207 N 29) of 425 Pages was issued, dated 8 August 2011, for general discussion and comment.

Some Comments on the CEN Joint Report …

1.  Terminology

CEN Joint Report – CEN/BT/WG 207 N 29

3.4     Conclusions View, Findings and Recommendations

3.4.1  Overview

Terms such as ‘procurement’, ‘inclusion’, ‘accessibility’ and ‘compliance’ are difficult to define precisely, and they are often not fully understood by those responsible for managing or providing the products or environments people use.  They are also not readily understood by those administrating and triggering the procurement process.

It is strange, therefore … and unacceptable … that this Report does not attempt to reduce and/or remove the ambiguity surrounding these terms … by providing a clear definition, with a supporting explanatory text, for each of the terms listed above.

I’m not even sure that the large numbers of people who helped to draft the CEN Joint Report fully understand those terms !

Most importantly, the Report is not at all precise about … and in fact appears to be completely confused by … the clear distinction which must be made between ‘accessibility’ and ‘access’.

2.  ‘Accessibility’ & UN CRPD

Accessibility does not begin and end with Article 9 of the United Nations 2006 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) !!!   See my post, dated 15 January 2011 … and #6 below.

3.  EU Ratification of UN CRPD

The full implications arising from European Union (EU) Ratification, on 23 December 2010, of the United Nations 2006 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) … for both EU Institutions, and the EU Member States (whether or not they have individually ratified the UN Convention) … have not been properly examined in the CEN Joint Report.

See my post, dated 5 February 2011 .

4.  Mainstreaming ‘Accessibility’

For the majority of people involved in the spatial planning, design and development of the European Built Environment, Accessibility is all about transport issues … for example, how far a proposed new building is from a transportation node.

We are communicating such a confused message (is it Accessibility for All, Design for All, Inclusive Design, Universal Design, or Barrier-Free Design ?) … that many policy and decision makers just could not be bothered.  And who, in Europe, is really concerned with the quality of Accessibility Implementation ???

In addition … the CEN Joint Report neglected to deal adequately … or at all … with a major body of EU Legislation which has been implemented at national level, in the Member States, many years ago … Safety at Work Legislation !   All of the EU Directives require that workplaces be accessible.  Yet, I know for a fact that, in Ireland, the Health & Safety Authority (HSA) is doing absolutely nothing to check whether this requirement is being complied with or not.

A Sustainable Built Environment is Accessible for All !   So many different types of International/European/National Legislation mandate that the Built Environment shall be Accessible for All !!   Good Design demands that the Built Environment is Accessible for All !!!

So why is Accessibility not being properly integrated into the operation of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Legislation ?

Environmental Impact:  Any effect caused by a given activity on the environment, including human health, safety and welfare, flora, fauna, soil, air, water, and especially representative samples of natural ecosystems, climate, landscape and historical monuments or other physical structures, or the interactions among these factors; it also includes effects on accessibility, cultural heritage or socio-economic conditions resulting from alterations to those factors.

No case need be made for the integration of Accessibility into Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA) … it self-evidently must be !

Sustainability Impact Assessment:  A continual evaluation and optimization process – informing initial decision-making, or design, and shaping activity/product/service realization, useful life and termination, or final disposal – of the interrelated positive and negative social, environmental, economic, institutional, political and legal impacts on balanced and equitable implementation of Sustainable Human and Social Development.

5.  What Is The Overriding European Social Priority ?

The overriding European Social Priority is to commence operation, with full effect, of the Accessibility / Design for All Requirements within the fast evolving European Public Procurement Framework … as quickly as possible.

Do we have to wait another 2 or 3 years, at least, for the production of an ‘acceptable’ European Accessibility Standard ??   Instead, why not approve ISO 21542 as the European Standard when it is published as a full standard … which will be very soon ?   ISO 21542 is already being used as the benchmark in the CEN Joint Report !

AND … do we have to wait, for who knows how long … before Effective Monitoring Procedures … and Independent Verification Procedures … are put in place at European and National/Regional/Local Levels ???

Quality of European Accessibility Implementation … is critical !

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2011-10-17 …

6.  Post UN CRPD – A More Demanding Scope & Quality of Implementation

Not unexpected … but it has still been a most enlightening experience to read the recent UN CRPD Committee Report on Spain … selected extracts from which are reproduced below.  The language used by the Committee is strong and direct … finally !

This is not a good report and, in places, it makes for unpleasant reading … a concrete example of the ‘hypocrisy and blatant self-delusion practiced by Europeans’, which I talked about earlier.

In accordance with Article 36.3 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) … the UN Secretary-General will be making this Report available to all States Parties.

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United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Sixth Session – 19 to 23 September 2011

Concluding Observations on Initial Report of Spain

(Article 35 of UN CRPD)

The Committee considered the initial report of Spain (CRPD/C/ESP/1) at its 56th and 57th meetings, held on 20 September 2011, and adopted the following concluding observations at its 62nd meeting, held on 23 September 2011.

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III.  Principal Areas of Concern & Recommendations

A.  General Principles & Obligations (Articles 1 & 4)

11.  The Committee takes note of the adoption of Act 26/2011 which introduces the concept of ‘person with disabilities’ as defined in the Convention and expands the protection of persons with disabilities.  However, it is concerned that not all persons with disabilities are covered by the law.

12.  The Committee urges the State Party to ensure that all persons with disabilities enjoy protection against discrimination and have access to equal opportunities irrespective of their level of disability.

13.  The Committee welcomes Act 49/2007, dated 26 December 2007, establishing the Permanent Specialized Office to deal with offences and sanctions in equal opportunities, non-discrimination and universal accessibility by persons with disabilities.  However, it is concerned by the slow development and lack of promotion of this arbitration system at the regional government level; by the lack of information on the number of sanctions submitted and resolved; and by the failure of the State Party to report on actions undertaken to implement this law.  The Committee is concerned about the overall effectiveness of the system.

14.  The Committee recommends that the State Party raise awareness among persons with disabilities about the system of arbitration; increase the level of free legal aid; and ensure the regulation of offences and sanctions at the regional government level.

15.  The Committee regrets the lack of information on the meaningful participation of persons with disabilities and their representative organisations at the regional level in designing, and evaluating the implementation of legislation, policy and decision-making processes; and the participation of children with disabilities at all levels.

16.  The Committee recommends that the State Party take specific measures to: ensure the active participation of persons with disabilities in public decision-making processes at the regional level; and to include children with disabilities at all levels.

17.  The Committee takes note of Act 2/2010 of 3 March 2010 on sexual and reproductive health decriminalizing voluntary termination of pregnancy, allowing  pregnancy to be terminated up to 14 weeks and including two specific cases in which abortion is allowed for longer time limits due to the fact that the foetus has a disability:  until 22 weeks of gestation, provided there is ‘a risk of serious anomalies in the foetus’, and beyond week 22 when, inter alia, ‘an extremely serious and incurable illness is detected in the foetus’.  It also notes the explanations provided by the State Party for maintaining this distinction.

18.  The Committee recommends that the State Party abolish the distinction made in Act 2/2010 in the period allowed under law within which a pregnancy can be terminated, based solely on disability.

B. Specific Rights (Articles 5-30)

Equality and non-discrimination (Article 5)

19.  The Committee welcomes the adoption of Act 26/2011 amending regulations which will abolish the need to have a disability certificate to bring a discrimination claim before a judicial body.  However, it regrets the lack of information on cases of discrimination, and it is concerned that persons with disabilities will still be marginalized.  The Committee is further concerned by the lack of information on reasonable accommodation.  It is also concerned that in practice disability affects parents’ guardianship or custody of their children and that legal protection against discrimination on the grounds of disability is not enforceable in cases of discrimination due to perceived disability or association with a person with a disability.

20.  The Committee urges the State Party to expand the protection of discrimination on the grounds of disability to explicitly cover multiple disability, perceived disability and association with a person with a disability, and to ensure the protection from denial of reasonable accommodation, as a form of discrimination, regardless of the level of disability.  Moreover guidance, awareness raising and training should be given to ensure a better comprehension by all stakeholders, including persons with disabilities, of the concept of reasonable accommodation and prevention of discrimination.

Article 8 – Awareness-Raising

25.  The Committee commends the many initiatives taken by the State Party to implement the Convention.  However, it notes that more needs to be done to increase awareness in society, in the media and amongst persons with disabilities themselves of the right of persons with disabilities.

26.  The Committee calls upon the State Party to take proactive measures to enhance awareness of the Convention and its Optional Protocol at all levels, in particular among the judiciary and the legal profession, political parties, Parliament and Government officials, civil society, media, persons with disabilities, as well as the general public.

Article 9 – Accessibility

27.  The Committee takes note that Act 26/2011 amends regulations which will shorten the timelines for meeting accessibility requirements in public facilities; and goods and services available to the public.  However, it remains concerned at the low level of compliance with these requirements, in particular, at regional and local levels, in the private sector, and in relation to existing facilities.  The Committee is aware of situations of discrimination faced by air passengers with disabilities, including situations of denial of boarding.  The Committee reminds the State Party that Article 9 of the Convention also demands access to information and communication.

28.  The Committee recommends that sufficient financial and human resources be allocated as soon as possible to implement, promote and monitor compliance with accessibility legislation through national measures as well as through international cooperation.

Article 11 – Situations of Risk & Humanitarian Emergencies

31.  The Committee is concerned at the insufficiency of specific protocols for persons with disabilities in emergency situations.

32.  The Committee calls upon the State Party to review its laws and policies related to emergency situations with a view to including provisions guaranteeing the security and protection of persons with disabilities.

[ My Comment:  This is a gross understatement of a serious problem which continues to fester not only in Spain but, more generally, in Europe ! ]

Article 19 – Living Independently & Being Included in the Community

39.  The Committee is concerned at the lack of resources and services to guarantee the right to live independently and to be included in the community, in particular in rural areas.  It is further concerned that the choice of residence of persons with disabilities is limited by the availability of the necessary services, and that those living in residential institutions are reported to have no alternative to institutionalization.  Finally, the Committee is concerned about linking eligibility of social services to a specific grade of disability.

40.  The Committee encourages the State Party to ensure that an adequate level of funding is made available to effectively enable persons with disabilities to: enjoy the freedom to choose their residence on an equal basis with others; access a full range of in-home, residential and other community services for daily life, including personal assistance; and to enjoy reasonable accommodation so as to better integrate into their communities.

41.  The Committee is concerned that the law for the promotion of autonomy limits the resources to hire personal assistants only to those persons who have level 3 disabilities and only for education and work.

42.  The Committee encourages the State Party to expand resources for personal assistants for all persons with disabilities in accordance with their requirements.

Article 24 – Education

43.  The Committee welcomes the fact that the principle of inclusion governs the schooling of pupils with special educational needs; that discrimination in education is prohibited; and that most children with disabilities are included in the regular education system.  It commends the enactment of Organic Act 2/2006 on Education, which obliges the education authorities to provide specialist teachers, qualified professionals and the necessary materials and resources, as well as the laws that oblige schools to make necessary curricular adjustments and diversifications for pupils with disabilities.  However, the Committee is concerned by the implementation of these laws in practice, in view of reported cases of failure to provide reasonable accommodation, of continued segregation and exclusion, of financial arguments used as justification for discrimination, and of the cases of children enrolled in special education against their parents’ will.  The Committee notes with concern that parents challenging the placement of their children with disabilities in special education have no possibility of appeal and that their only alternative is to educate them at their own expense or pay for the reasonable accommodation of their child in the regular education system.

44.  The Committee reiterates that denial of reasonable accommodation constitutes discrimination and the duty to provide reasonable accommodation is immediately applicable and not subject to progressive realisation.  It recommends the State Party to:

     (a)  Increase its efforts to provide reasonable accommodation in education, allocating sufficient financial and human resources to implement the right to inclusive education; paying particular attention to assessing the availability of teachers with specialist qualifications; and ensuring that educational departments of local governments understand their obligations under the Convention and act in conformity with its provisions ;

     (b)  Ensure that the decisions to place children with a disability in a special school or in special classes, or to offer them solely a reduced standard curriculum, are taken in consultation with the parents ;

     (c)  Ensure that the parents of children with disabilities are not obliged to pay for the education or for the measures of reasonable accommodation in mainstream schools ;

     (d)  Ensure that decisions on placing children in segregated settings can be appealed swiftly and effectively.

C.  Specific Obligations (Articles 31-33)

Statistics and data collection (Article 31)

49.  The Committee regrets the low level of disaggregated data on persons with disabilities.  The Committee recalls that such information is indispensable to: understanding the situations of specific groups of persons with disabilities in the State Party who may be subject to varying degrees of vulnerability; developing laws, policies and programmes adapted to their situations; and assessing the implementation of the Convention.

50.  The Committee recommends that the State party systematize the collection, analysis and dissemination of data, disaggregated by sex, age and disability; enhance capacity building in this regard; and develop gender-sensitive indicators to support legislative developments, policymaking and institutional strengthening for monitoring and reporting on progress made with regard to the implementation of the various provisions of the Convention.

51.  The Committee regrets that the situation of children with disabilities is not reflected in the data on the protection of children.

52.  The Committee recommends that the State Party systematically collect, analyse and disseminate data, disaggregated by sex, age and disability, on abuse and violence against children.

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END

Tags: 'Accessibility' & UN CRPD, 'Enormous' is the only appropriate word which must spring to your mind !, 2003 Final Report from the Group of Accessibility Experts, A comprehensive document capable of answering a major portion of Europe's current needs in this area is on the verge of being published as a full International Standard, a contracting authority shall, A Sustainable Built Environment is Accessible for All, A. 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NOW, it is sobering to observe how DG Environment (ENV) in the European Commission is promoting and actively supporting Green Public Procurement, Leaving aside the utilities sectors (water - energy - transport - postal services), leaving small peripheral groups in the Institutions to look after the Social Aspects, long rambling CEN Joint Report (document ref. CEN/BT/WG 207 N 29) of 425 Pages was issued dated 8 August 2011 for general discussion and comment, M/420 EN - Brussels 21 December 2007, Mainstreaming 'Accessibility', Mandate M/420 EN is a flawed document, many people in the European Union Institutions would prefer to steer completely away from the Social Aspects of Sustainable Human and Social Development, neither well connected to the mainstream nor fully aware of the 'ins' and 'outs' of that mainstream, No case need be made for the integration of Accessibility into Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA), Not the strongest possible language to encourage 'accessibility', one of Europe's Standards Organisations, People with Activity Limitations (2001 WHO ICF), permit the operation of the Accessibility / Design for All Requirements in EU Public Procurement Directives to commence with full effect, Personnes à Performances Réduites (2001 WHO ICF), Post UN CRPD - A More Demanding Scope and Quality of Implementation, principles which are supported by Preamble (g) and Articles 9 - 10 - 11 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Public Procurement & 'Design for All' - It's Crunch Time Folks !, Public Procurement in the European Union (EU), Public Procurement which is environment-friendly, Quality of European Accessibility Implementation ... is critical !, Safety at Work Legislation, Section 23 (2) of the European Communities (Award of Public Authorities' Contracts) Regulations 2006, Sixth Session - 19 to 23 September 2011, So many different types of International/European/National Legislation mandate that the Built Environment shall be Accessible for All, So why is Accessibility not being properly integrated into the operation of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Legislation, social rights, Some Comments on the CEN Joint Report ..., Standardization Mandate 420 to CEN CENELEC and ETSI in Support of European Accessibility Requirements for Public Procurement in the Built Environment, subject to the respect of Principles enshrined in the EU Treaties, Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA), Sustainable Human & Social Development, Technical Control of Construction, Terms such as 'procurement' - 'inclusion' - 'accessibility' - 'compliance' are difficult to define precisely, The Award of Public Works Contracts Public Supply Contracts and Public Service Contracts, The Built and Virtual Environments continue to merge into a new Augmented Reality, the clear distinction which must be made between 'accessibility' and 'access', The European Union’s Accessibility Strategy related Policies and Programmes, The language used by the Committee is strong and direct ... finally !, The Officials who drafted Commission Mandate M/420 EN paid little if any attention to that 2003 Expert Group Report, the period to practical application of ISO 21542 on the ground would be relatively swift, the principle of equal treatment, the principle of freedom of establishment, the principle of freedom of movement of goods, the principle of freedom to provide services, the principle of mutual recognition, the principle of non-discrimination, the principle of proportionality, the principle of transparency, the value and material extent of all the Public Procurement Contracts being tendered for and awarded each week throughout Europe, there is no longer any reason for European countries to complain about the inadequacy of this International Standard, This Directive was amended in a minor way by Directives 2005/51/EC and 2005/75/EC, This is not a good report and in places it makes for unpleasant reading, This process is proving to be problematic, this Report does not attempt to reduce and/or remove the ambiguity surrounding these terms, to define how the built environment should be designed constructed and managed, to enable people to approach enter use egress from and evacuate a building independently in an equitable and dignified manner and to the greatest extent possible, under the Vienna Agreement on Technical Co-Operation between ISO and CEN which was confirmed by both organizations in 2001, United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, virtual environment, walking around any major city in any country in Europe today, was properly implemented by using effective available and transparent Monitoring Mechanisms, What Is The Overriding European Social Priority ?, Whenever possible these technical specifications should be defined so as to take into account, who in Europe is really concerned with the quality of Accessibility Implementation ???, why not approve ISO 21542 as the European Standard when it is published as a full standard, With regard to specific rules governing specifications and contract documents, witnessing the universally appalling and miserable efforts at Accessibility Implementation, you would have to be outraged at the level of hypocrisy and blatant self-delusion practiced by Europeans !

2011 IFE International Fire Conference & AGM in Cardiff, Wales

2011-07-17:  On 6th & 7th July last … in Cardiff, the Capital City of Wales … the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) held its Annual General Meeting (AGM), followed by a very well attended 1½ Day International Fire Conference.  Participants came from as far away as Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong (in China), Canada, U.S.A., Nigeria and Switzerland.  A large, vocal group of delegates from The Netherlands also attended … and of course, there were many people from these islands … Ireland and Great Britain … the Irish Isles !

For me, it was an enjoyable few days in Cardiff.

The Immediate Past President of the IFE, Mr John Woodcock, had initiated an important programme of activities during his 2010/2011 Term of Office on the theme of ‘Fire Engineering & Sustainability’.  The New IFE President for 2011/2012, Mr. H.G. (Hao-Giang) Tay, has stated that he will continue this work with enthusiasm.

This brings me very neatly to the reason for my attendance at the Cardiff ‘Gig’.  I had been invited by HG Tay to make a presentation on ‘Sustainable Fire Engineering’.  This, I was very pleased and honoured to do.

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” The audience found the conference extremely valuable and I had many delegates who spoke to me specifically about how good the conference was and the high standard of the presentations.  The number of questions on each presentation was a testament to the interest of the audience.

The subject is of such importance that we really need to make sure the voice of the profession is firmly planted in all decision-making on design, protection and management of buildings.”

[Short Extract, Letter from HG Tay, International IFE President, dated 27 July 2011]

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2011 IFE Cardiff Overhead Presentation

CJ Walsh: “Sustainable Fire Engineering IS THE FUTURE !”

Click the Link Above to read and/or download PDF File (3.98 Mb)

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In order to properly protect the interests of Society and our Clients/Client Organizations … and to effectively realize a Safe and Sustainable Built Environment in the 21st Century … it is necessary, in designing a building for fire and its immediate aftermath, for the Fire Engineer to develop Project-Specific Fire Engineering Design Objectives … which must never be confused with the minimal Fire Safety Objectives mandated in Building and Fire Regulations and Codes.

Sustainable Fire Engineering is concerned with far more than compliance with Legislation !   For this reason, a Fire Engineering Code of Ethics is essential.

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Ethically Based Sustainable Fire Engineering must also consider the following issues, which are relevant to Today’s Human Environment :

1. Sustainable Human & Social Development.
2. Adaptation to Climate Change and Severe Weather Events … not less than a recurrence interval of 100 years should be used in design, always bearing in mind that the minimum Building Life Cycle for a Sustainable Building is 100 years.
3. Resistance to Fire-Induced Progressive Building Collapse and Disproportionate Damage.
4. Sufficient attention and care for Vulnerable Building Users in ‘situations of risk’ – refer to Article 11 of the 2006 United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
5. Safety of Firefighters & Rescue Teams – refer to Essential Requirement 2 of the European Union’s Construction Products Directive 89/106/EEC.

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In this Overhead Presentation …

• Clearly outlined is a Holistic Perspective of the much wider scope for Sustainable Fire Engineering in the Future … Fire Engineering which has an empirical and scientifically robust foundation … Fire Engineering which is not afraid to confront and absorb the lessons of the 9-11 WTC Incident (2001) in New York, or the 2008 Mumbai ‘Hive Attacks’ … Fire Engineering which discards its outrageously shameful disregard for People with Activity Limitations … Fire Engineering which understands Fire-Induced Progressive Collapse and Disproportionate Damage in Buildings and, most importantly, understands the difference between these two related structural concepts … Fire Engineering which is capable of full integration with the Mainstream Construction Sector ;
• Sustainable Human & Social Development is clearly defined, and the current widespread confusion about the far more limited concept of ‘Green’ is removed ;
• The UNESCO WFEO/FMOI Model Code of Ethics, updated by CJ Walsh in 2011, is proposed as a suitable and very necessary template for the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) ;
• As Sustainable Design Solutions are appropriate to Local Geography, Culture, Climate (and Climate Change), Economy, Social Need, Language/Dialect, etc … it is strongly recommended that the IFE should develop Global Regional Guidance Documents on Sustainable Fire Engineering, i.e. separate documents for Africa, Asia, Europe, South America, etc ;
• Finally … this Presentation initiates a fresh and entirely new dialogue within the International Fire Science and Engineering Community.

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What are your views and comments ?

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END

Tags: 2011 IFE Cardiff Overhead Presentation, 2011 IFE International Fire Conference and AGM in Cardiff Wales, a Fire Engineering Code of Ethics is essential, Accessibility-for-All, Accessible Fire Engineering, Adaptation to Climate Change and Severe Weather Events, always bearing in mind that the minimum Building Life Cycle for a Sustainable Building is 100 years, Area of Rescue Assistance in a Building, Article 11 of the 2006 United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Australia, Built Environment, Canada, Cardiff the Capital City of Wales, CJ Walsh: "Sustainable Fire Engineering IS THE FUTURE !", Clearly outlined is a Holistic Perspective of the much wider scope for Sustainable Fire Engineering in the Future, Client Organizations, Climate Change Adaptation, Essential Requirement 2 of the European Union's Construction Products Directive 89/106/EEC, Ethically Based Sustainable Fire Engineering, EU, european union, Fire Engineering Design, Fire Engineering which discards its outrageously shameful disregard for People with Activity Limitations, Fire Engineering which has an empirical and scientifically robust foundation, Fire Engineering which is capable of full integration with the Mainstream Construction Sector, Fire Engineering which is not afraid to confront and absorb the lessons of the 9-11 WTC Incident (2001) in New York or the 2008 Mumbai 'Hive Attacks', Fire Engineering which understands Fire-Induced Progressive Collapse and Disproportionate Damage in Buildings and - most importantly - understands the difference between these two related structural c, Fire Safety, fire-induced progressive collapse, FireOx International, Great Britain, Hong Kong (in China), human and social rights, human environment, in designing a building for fire and its immediate aftermath, In order to properly protect the interests of Society and our Clients/Client Organizations, initiated an important programme of activities during his 2010/2011 Term of Office on the theme of 'Sustainability & Fire Engineering', International Legal Instrument, Ireland, Irish Isles, it is necessary for the Fire Engineer to develop Project-Specific Fire Engineering Design Objectives, it is strongly recommended that the IFE should develop Global Regional Guidance Documents on Sustainable Fire Engineering, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, not less than a recurrence interval of 100 years should be used in design, People with Activity Limitations (2001 WHO ICF), Personnes à Performances Réduites (2001 WHO ICF), Resistance to Fire-Induced Progressive Building Collapse and Disproportionate Damage, Safety of Firefighters and Rescue Teams, Sufficient attention and care for Vulnerable Building Users in 'situations of risk', Sustainability Implementation, Sustainable Design Solutions are appropriate to Local Geography - Culture - Climate (and Climate Change) - Economy - Social Need - Language/Dialect, Sustainable Fire Engineering, Sustainable Fire Engineering is concerned with far more than compliance with Legislation, Sustainable Human & Social Development, Switzerland, Taiwan, Technical Control of Construction, the current widespread confusion about the far more limited concept of 'Green' is removed, the following issues which are relevant to Today's Human Environment, The Immediate Past President of the IFE Mr John Woodcock, the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) followed by a very well attended 1½ Day International Fire Conference, The Netherlands, The New IFE President for 2011/2012 Mr. H.G. (Hao-Giang) Tay has stated that he will continue this work with enthusiasm, The UNESCO WFEO/FMOI Model Code of Ethics - updated by CJ Walsh in 2011 - is proposed as a suitable and very necessary template for the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE), This brings me very neatly to the reason for my attendance at the Cardiff 'Gig', this Presentation initiates a fresh and entirely new dialogue within the International Fire Science and Engineering Community, to effectively realize a Safe and Sustainable Built Environment in the 21st Century, Tremendous Damage was caused to the Local Environment in Buncefield ... but Our Planet can no longer suffer these Criminal Human Acts, United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, United States of America, What are your views and comments ?, which must never be confused with the minimal Fire Safety Objectives mandated in Building and Fire Regulations and Codes

“April in Paris !” – Recent Meeting of CIB W14: Fire Safety

2011-04-29:  A Meeting of  CIB Working Commission 14: ‘Fire Safety’  took place at the Headquarters of Groupe AFNOR … Association Française de NORmalisation … which is located just outside the centre of Paris, France … on Monday, 11 April 2011.

These meetings are typically, though not always, co-ordinated with a long series of  ISO Technical Committee 92: ‘Fire Safety’ Meetings at the same venue.  Both technical bodies have a very good working relationship, and there is a strong interchange of membership between the two.  The recent revision to the description and scope of CIB W14 will be of enormous benefit to all.

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Some Matters of Interest at the CIB W14: ‘Fire Safety’ Meeting – Presentations & Discussions about Two of the Current Pre-Normative Innovation & Research Projects …

1.  CIB W14 Working Group IV: ‘Structural Reliability & Fire-Induced Progressive Collapse’

See the Dedicated Page on this Technical Web Log (Tech-BLOG) Site … http://www.cjwalsh.ie/progressive-collapse-fire/ … for the latest update on the Research Project … which has proposed the following, as a Rational Route Forward …

     A.  Mainstream the Language, Practices, Procedures and Design Methodologies of Fire Science & Engineering … so that other design disciplines can appreciate that Ethical Fire Science & Engineering also has a sound, modern, rational and empirical basis.   [Task for CIB W14]

     B.  Raise awareness about the primacy, and encourage the wide acceptance, of Fire Serviceability Limit States in Structural Fire Engineering … and the universal requirement that buildings must resist Fire-Induced Progressive Collapse and, in addition, also resist Disproportionate Damage.   [Task for CIB W14 Working Group IV]

     C.  Indicate the need for, and foster the development of, innovative Structural Thermal Insulation Fire Protection Systems which are durable, can resist mechanical damage in ambient and fire conditions, and can be properly shown to be ‘fit for their intended life-cycle use’.   [Task for the Fire Industry]

     D.  In steel construction … depending on its location in a building and having designed sufficiently robust connections for fire conditions … show why, where and how Thermal Insulation must now be used to maintain a Lower Temperature in the Steel … in order to ensure that its deformations (+/- deflection, expansion and distortion, etc.) remain within design parameters … both during the fire and, for a minimum period afterwards, during the ‘cooling phase’.   [Task for CIB W14 Working Group IV]

     E.  Encourage the development of Fire Engineering Design Guidelines for new and existing buildings, along with the Decision Support Tools needed for their use in practice … to support #2 and #4 above.  And propose how Existing Code/Regulation Provisions and Standards should be suitably updated and revised.   [Task for the International Fire Science & Engineering Community]

During the discussion which followed my presentation, and having reviewed progress … it was generally felt that the time was now ripe to prepare a Discussion Document for Comment.  This will be circulated about a month before the next meeting of CIB W14 … to be held in October 2011.

2.  CIB W14 Working Group 5: ‘Fire Incident Human Behaviour & Abilities’

The photograph above was actually taken during the presentation of this Research Project … at the time being given by Project Leader, Douglas Hillhouse, Organizer of the Fire Risk Engineering Programme at Glasgow Caledonian University, in Scotland.

Prior to the Paris Meeting, Douglas had circulated a Project Discussion Document for Comment … which was focused mainly on people with disabilities.  The Co-Ordinator of CIB W14, Prof. Dr. George Hadjisophocleous, was pleased to see this Research Project develop and gather momentum.

During the discussion which followed the Presentation, I made the following points …

• The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) was adopted on 13 December 2006; it came into force, i.e. became an International Legal Instrument, on 3 May 2008; and it was ratified by a European Union (E.U.) having, for the first time after the Lisbon Treaty, its own separate legal personality … on 23 December 2010.

In February 2011 … the 2010 European Foundation Centre (EFC) Report: ‘Study on Challenges and Good Practices in the Implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities’, was approved for publication by the European Commission.  Under a duty of loyal co-operation, which derives from Article 4.3 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), each E.U. Member State is now obliged to properly implement the critical accessibility-related provisions of the UN CRPD, i.e. Preamble (g) and Articles 4.3, 9, 10, 11, with 31 & 33.

• The Final Draft of International Standard … ISO FDIS 21542: ‘Building Construction – Accessibility & Usability of the Built Environment’ … was registered with ISO Central Secretariat on 17 March 2011.  In spite of the technically flawed submission from ISO Technical Committee 92 to ISO Technical Committee 59, which is responsible for the production of ISO 21542 … we had successfully managed to retain a substantive, and meaningful, body of text relating to Fire Safety for People with Activity Limitations.
• Our concern, throughout this CIB W14 Research Project, would be Fire Safety for All … including people with a wide range of behavioural responses and physical/mental/cognitive/psychological abilities during a fire incident … including people with activity limitations, not just people with disabilities … and firefighters.  The user profile in a ‘real’ building must be viewed as a continuum.
• In attempting to provide better Fire Engineering Design Solutions for people with cognitive impairments, I had realized … many years ago … that the field of Cognitive Psychology offered huge potential for a paradigm shift in Fire Engineering Research.  This potential will be identified in the Project.
• Amongst the International Fire Science and Engineering Community, there is widespread ignorance about Panic and Panic Attacks … this may help to explain the irrational fear about dealing with this important issue … a fear which the WG 5 Project will confront !

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Of Unrelated Interest ?

During visits to Paris, I regularly ‘pop-in’ to Père Lachaise Cemetery … in the east of the city.  Access is very convenient … the Père Lachaise Métro Station being directly served by Lines 2 & 3.  Here are the last resting places (?) of Some Interesting Personalities …

A.  Camille Pissarro (1830-1903) – Impressionist Painter

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B.  Jim Morrison (1943-1971) of ‘The DOORS’ – Lead Singer, Songwriter & Poet

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C.  Maria Callas (1923-1977) – Opera Singer & Diva

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END

Tags: "April in Paris !" - Recent Meeting of CIB W14: Fire Safety, 2010 European Foundation Centre (EFC) Report: 'Study on Challenges and Good Practices in the Implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities', A Meeting of CIB Working Commission 14: 'Fire Safety' took place at the Headquarters of Groupe AFNOR, a Rational Route Forward, Accessibility of buildings for people with disabilities, Accessibility-for-All, Accessible Fire Engineering, AFNOR ... Association Française de NORmalisation, and there is a strong interchange of membership between the two, are durable ... and can resist mechanical damage in ambient and fire conditions, both during the fire and for a minimum period afterwards during the 'cooling phase', Both technical bodies have a very good working relationship, Built Environment, Camille Pissarro (1830-1903) - Impressionist Painter, can be properly shown to be 'fit for their intended life-cycle use', CIB W14 Working Group 5: 'Fire Incident Human Behaviour & Abilities', CIB W14 Working Group IV: 'Structural Reliability & Fire-Induced Progressive Collapse', CJ Walsh, Co-Ordinator of CIB W14 Prof. Dr. George Hadjisophocleous, Decision Support Tools needed for their use in practice, each E.U. Member State is now obliged to properly implement the critical accessibility-related provisions of the UN CRPD, Ethical Fire Science and Engineering also has a sound modern rational and empirical basis, EU, european union, Fire Engineering Design, Fire Engineering Design Guidelines for new and existing buildings, Fire Safety for All, fire-induced progressive collapse, human and social rights, I regularly 'pop-in' to Père Lachaise Cemetery ... in the east of the city, in addition also resist Disproportionate Damage, In attempting to provide better Fire Engineering Design Solutions for people with cognitive impairments, in order to ensure that its deformations (+/- deflection - expansion - distortion etc.) remain within design parameters, In spite of the technically flawed submission from ISO Technical Committee 92, In steel construction ... depending on its location in a building and having designed sufficiently robust connections for fire conditions, including people with a wide range of behavioural responses and physical/mental/cognitive/psychological abilities during a fire incident, including people with activity limitations not just people with disabilities ... and firefighters, innovative Structural Thermal Insulation Fire Protection Systems, International Fire Science and Engineering Community, International Legal Instrument, ISO FDIS 21542: 'Building Construction - Accessibility & Usability of the Built Environment', it was generally felt that the time was now ripe to prepare a Discussion Document for Comment, Jim Morrison (1943-1971) of 'The DOORS' - Lead Singer Songwriter and Poet, Mainstream the Language Practices Procedures and Design Methodologies of Fire Science & Engineering, Maria Callas (1923-1977) - Opera Singer & Diva, People with Activity Limitations (2001 WHO ICF), Personnes à Performances Réduites (2001 WHO ICF), photograph, Preamble (g) and Articles 4.3 - 9 - 10 - 11 - with 31 and 33, Presentations & Discussions about Two of the Current Pre-Normative Innovation & Research Projects, propose how Existing Code/Regulation Provisions and Standards should be suitably updated and revised, Raise awareness about the primacy of Fire Serviceability Limit States in Structural Fire Engineering, Research Project Leader Douglas Hillhouse - Organizer of the Fire Risk Engineering Programme at Glasgow Caledonian University in Scotland, See the Dedicated Page on this Technical Web Log (Tech-BLOG) Site, Some Matters of Interest at the CIB W14: 'Fire Safety' Meeting, Sustainable Fire Engineering, Task for CIB W14, Task for CIB W14 Working Group IV, Task for the Fire Industry, Task for the International Fire Science & Engineering Community, Technical Control of Construction, the field of Cognitive Psychology offered huge potential for a paradigm shift in Fire Engineering Research, The Final Draft of International Standard ... ISO FDIS 21542 ... was registered with ISO Central Secretariat on 17 March 2011, the last resting places (?) of Some Interesting Personalities ..., The UN CRPD was ratified by a European Union (E.U.) having for the first time after the Lisbon Treaty its own separate legal personality ... on 23 December 2010, the universal requirement that buildings must resist Fire-Induced Progressive Collapse, The user profile in a 'real' building must be viewed as a continuum, there is widespread ignorance about Panic and Panic Attacks, Thermal Insulation must now be used to maintain a Lower Temperature in the Steel, These meetings are co-ordinated with a long series of ISO Technical Committee 92: 'Fire Safety' Meetings at the same venue, this may help to explain the irrational fear about dealing with this important issue, This will be circulated about a month before the next meeting of CIB W14 ... to be held in October 2011, UN CRPD became an International Legal Instrument on 3 May 2008, Under a duty of loyal co-operation which derives from Article 4.3 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), we had successfully managed to retain a substantive and meaningful body of text relating to Fire Safety for People with Activity Limitations

New Dublin Criminal Courts Building – Denying Human Rights !

2011-04-07:  The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is an issue, right here and now, for Architects in Ireland … and the Irish Built Environment, whoever designs, constructs, operates or manages it … not because this country has, or has not, ratified the Convention … but because the European Union has ratified this Convention !   And as we have all witnessed, on countless times since the early 1970′s … it has required a big stick from Europe to drag Ireland’s social legislation into the modern era.

UN CRPD Article 13 – Access to Justice

1.  States Parties shall ensure effective access to justice for persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others, including through the provision of procedural and age-appropriate accommodations, in order to facilitate their effective role as direct and indirect participants, including as witnesses, in all legal proceedings, including at investigative and other preliminary stages.

2.  In order to help to ensure effective access to justice for persons with disabilities, States Parties shall promote appropriate training for those working in the field of administration of justice, including police and prison staff.

Last week … from Monday, 28 March 2011 … until Thursday, 31 March 2011 … I attended as a Juror at the  New Criminal Courts of Justice Building, which is located at the Main Gate to the Phoenix Park in Dublin … near the junction between Parkgate Street and Infirmary Road.

I was very curious to experience this new building as an ordinary user.  However, I was not at all happy at the outcome … the accessibility performance was so inadequate.

In the case of this new building, it is clear that the Irish State has failed – is failing – to comply with Article 13 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities … and is thus denying a basic human right to many people in our society.

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Post Occupation Evaluation (POE) is not a well-known architectural concept among architects … and even when it is known, it is not the most favoured.  This subject has, in my direct experience, been treated with light-hearted frivolity in 8 Merrion Square, Dublin !   Afterall, who wants to meet the failures of their cherished designs head-on … up-front and in their faces ??   To some architects, successes never seem to count as being of equal, or more, importance.  But, they are both a vital tool in continuous learning.

POE, however, is a crucial part of work as a practicing architect.  It is essential to feed previous design failures and successes … and ‘real’ information about building user/occupant behaviour … back into new projects !   This is ‘real’ CPD (Continuing Professional Development) in action … and a serious issue which is completely overlooked in the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland’s current approach to CPD !!

The reason so much of the built environment … so many buildings … is/are so inaccessible for many people … is not because designers have something against people with activity limitations … it is because designers just do not want human beings … anybody … to enter and use their buildings.  People are so messy … and they always want to do silly things with a building which were never planned … or they want to change things around, spoiling ‘the design’ … etc., etc., etc.

This problem begins back in the architectural schools, and becomes a deeper problem on the professional practice courses organized by professional institutes … here, and in other countries.  POE and building user/occupant behaviour is not covered … at all !   Can you believe that ??   I still can’t.

Tyranny of the Plan is another architectural concept.  I will try to explain it this way.  Take the photograph above.  Why, for example, are there no handrails on the right hand side … the major part … of those steps ?   Because of that Tyranny of the Plan Drawing !   It looked ‘right’ … beautiful, almost sexy … just to have handrails on that part of the steps leading from the main front doors … design movement was continued and controlled.  This is not the same as people movement.

On Sunday morning last, I measured those steps myself … (riser) 150 mm in height x (going) 300 mm in depth … (2 x riser) + (1 x going) = 600 mm … ideal dimensions for steps inside a building … but not the most convenient, comfortable or safe dimensions for steps outside a building.

Handrails are definitely required throughout the full extent of the steps !   But, that would have looked very sloppy on the plan drawing.  Now, however, take a closer look at those steps … looking down from above … and just imagine that you are a frail, older person and your sight may not be the greatest … that you are visually impaired in some manner …

The wrong type of tactile ground surface information is being given at the top and bottom of the steps … we would like to warn users of the hazard they are approaching, i.e. the steps, by using a ‘blister’ surface indicator … not direct them to turn left or right when they perceive those continuous ‘corduroy’ ridges.  The horizontal handrail extensions at the top and bottom of the short flight of steps are insufficiently long.  There is inadequate visual contrast at all of the step nosings (i.e. the leading top edges) which would have helped people to accurately locate those edges.  And, as already referred to above, the step dimensions could have been greatly improved with a slight adjustment … for example, (riser) 125 mm in height x (going) 350 mm in depth … (2 x riser) + (1 x going) = 600 mm … much better altogether for steps outside a building !   Compare and contrast with the many Japanese photographs shown in earlier posts.  There is no comparison !   This is sloppy work in Dublin.

Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969), the Master German Architect, is often quoted as having said: “God is in the details”.  Right on, Ludwig … ride ‘em cowboy !!!

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For security reasons, it was not possible to take any photographs inside the building.  However, it was abundantly clear that accessibility for people with activity limitations, generally, was inadequate.  While some small account had been taken of the needs of people using wheelchairs … people with a visual impairment would have a very difficult time using this building.  Furthermore, when it came to the ‘swearing-in’ of Jurors at Court No.7, circulation was incredibly confined and restricted … I was having to squeeze myself forward in order to be ‘processed’.  What a mess !

This was an unacceptable and very disappointing example of poor, misguided and minimalist accessibility implementation … making an ironclad case for effective independent verification of Accessibility Performance, as required by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities … at the end of the design stage in a project, and especially during the actual process of construction … to ensure that an ‘informed’ design intention becomes reality.

UN CRPD Article 33 – National Implementation & Monitoring

1.  States Parties, in accordance with their system of organization, shall designate one or more focal points within government for matters relating to the implementation of the present Convention, and shall give due consideration to the establishment or designation of a co-ordination mechanism within government to facilitate related action in different sectors and at different levels.

2.  States Parties shall, in accordance with their legal and administrative systems, maintain, strengthen, designate or establish within the State Party, a framework, including one or more independent mechanisms, as appropriate, to promote, protect and monitor implementation of the present Convention.  When designating or establishing such a mechanism, States Parties shall take into account the principles relating to the status and functioning of national institutions for protection and promotion of human rights.

3.  Civil society, in particular persons with disabilities and their representative organizations, shall be involved and participate fully in the monitoring process.

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And that is not the end of the story !   When construction of a building has been completed and it is then occupied, Competent Building Management  is critical in maintaining an initial level of good accessibility performance throughout the life cycle of that building.  Once again, however, the management of this building was sloppy … take a bow, the  Courts Service of Ireland !

Symptoms of Larger Problems … Two Short Little Anecdotes …

a) Unheeded Building Evacuation Warning

In the middle of Roll Call, on the first morning that I attended as a Juror, a Voiced Stand-By Building Evacuation Warning was announced over the building’s public address system.  It was explained that there had been ‘an incident’.  That’s all … no other information was given.  This announcement was repeated again, and again, and again.  It then stopped, momentarily, and then started again.  It finally ended.

During the announcements … we all looked around … there were at least 150 people in the room … then looked at each other, shrugged our shoulders and smiled.  We at least thought that the person in charge of the Roll Call would be in a position to quickly find out what was going on … but no, she also shrugged her shoulders and carried on calling out names.

Afterwards, I asked one of the many ushers what had happened … was it a serious incident ?   He didn’t know, and just stated that ushers are generally told nothing.

This is entirely unacceptable !   Are clowns managing the New Criminal Courts of Justice Building in Dublin ??

b) Disrespectful ‘Swearing-In’ of Jurors

An Information Leaflet, produced by the Courts Service back in January 2010, entitled: ‘Attending for Jury Service’ … contains the following Introduction …

Jury Service is an important civic duty.  It is a vital part of our criminal justice system.  You must arrive on time to ensure trials are not delayed.  To assist you we have prepared this leaflet which includes a map to guide you to (the) jury assembly area of the Criminal Courts of Justice.

Concerning ‘Swearing-In a Jury’ … it is stated in the Leaflet …

The court registrar calls out your name and asks you to take an oath on the Holy Book of your choice, or you may affirm.

From the beginning, nobody was informed about these options.  On the final morning, when I was selected to be a Juror, the only Holy Book which was placed in front of Jurors was the Christian Bible.  No other Holy Book was visible.  Everyone was being processed in one way … without any consideration or respect for their dignity as an individual person.

With all of the stress of these occasions, and the formalities involved … the ‘Swearing-In’ Judge was even wearing a wig (I thought that those days were long gone !) … it would be all too easy for people … ‘automatically’, almost by reflex action, and not wanting to make a fuss … to go through a ‘standard’ processing procedure, which for them had little or no meaning.  Is that the intended purpose of ‘Swearing-In’ ??

It may have escaped the attention of the Courts Service that Ireland is now a pluralist and richly varied multi-cultural society.  Some people are religious, others are not … some people are Christians, others are Moslems, Jews or Buddhists, etc., etc … whatever !

A range of Holy Books must be visible to all Jurors … and they must all be informed about the option of ‘Affirming’ … before ‘Swearing-In’ commences !

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Tags: 'real' information about building user/occupant behaviour, a co-ordination mechanism within government to facilitate related action in different sectors and at different levels, a framework including one or more independent mechanisms as appropriate to promote protect and monitor implementation of the present Convention, A range of Holy Books must be visible to all Jurors, Accessibility of buildings for people with disabilities, Accessibility-for-All, Accessible Fire Engineering, Architects in Ireland, Are clowns managing the New Criminal Courts of Justice Building in Dublin, because the European Union has ratified this Convention, becomes a deeper problem on the professional practice courses organized by professional institutes, before 'Swearing-In' commences, Built Environment, Civil society shall be involved and participate fully in the monitoring process, CJ Walsh, Client Organizations, Compare and contrast with the many Japanese photographs shown in earlier posts, Competent Building Management is critical in maintaining an initial level of good accessibility performance throughout the life cycle of that building, designate one or more focal points within government for matters relating to the implementation of the present Convention, Disrespectful 'Swearing-In' of Jurors, effective access to justice for persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others, EU, european union, Fire Safety, For security reasons it was not possible to take any photographs inside the building, human and social rights, I attended as a Juror at the New Criminal Courts of Justice Building, I was having to squeeze myself forward in order to be 'processed', I was not at all happy at the outcome ... the accessibility performance was so inadequate, I was very curious to experience this new building as an ordinary user, Ireland, is thus denying a basic human right to many people in our society, it is because designers just do not want human beings ... anybody ... to enter and use their buildings, it is clear that the Irish State has failed - is failing - to comply with Article 13 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, It is essential to feed previous design failures and successes back into new projects, located at the Main Gate to the Phoenix Park in Dublin ... near the junction between Parkgate Street and Infirmary Road, making an ironclad case for effective independent verification of Accessibility Performance, Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969) the Master German Architect is often quoted as having said: "God is in the details", New Dublin Criminal Courts Building - Denying Human Rights, not because designers have something against people with activity limitations, people with a visual impairment would have a very difficult time using this building, People with Activity Limitations (2001 WHO ICF), Personnes à Performances Réduites (2001 WHO ICF), Post Occupation Evaluation (POE) is not a well-known architectural concept among architects, promote appropriate training for those working in the field of administration of justice, Right on Ludwig ... ride 'em cowboy, since the early 1970's ... it has required a big stick from Europe to drag Ireland's social legislation into the modern era, Sustainability Implementation, Sustainable Design, take into account the principles relating to the status and functioning of national institutions for protection and promotion of human rights, Technical Control of Construction, The horizontal handrail extensions at the top and bottom of the short flight of steps are insufficiently long, the Irish Built Environment whoever designs constructs operates or manages it, The reason so much of the built environment ... so many buildings ... is/are so inaccessible for many people, The wrong type of tactile ground surface information is being given at the top and bottom of the steps, There is inadequate visual contrast at all of the step nosings, they must all be informed about the option of 'Affirming', This is 'real' CPD (Continuing Professional Development) in action, This problem begins back in the architectural schools, This was an unacceptable and very disappointing example of poor misguided and minimalist accessibility implementation, UN CRPD Article 13 - Access to Justice, UN CRPD Article 33 - National Implementation and Monitoring, Unheeded Building Evacuation Warning, United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), When construction of a building has been completed and it is then occupied, While some small account had been taken of the needs of people using wheelchairs

Recent Terenure Terraced Housing Fires – Party Wall Failures !!

2011-04-06:  Further to my earlier Post, dated 11 November 2010 … specifically, the photographs in that Post which showed that there was NO Fire and Smoke Separation between a house and its neighbouring property … and my statement that those photographs “could have been taken in almost any house, anywhere in the country” … so widespread is this problem …

On Friday afternoon last, 1 April 2011 … fire spread through a long terrace of houses in the Dublin City Suburbs of Terenure.  Luckily, no one was killed … but it was reported that some people were injured, including a firefighter.  This was very far from being an April Fool’s Day Joke for the owners and occupants of the buildings.  The fire losses for everyone concerned, both direct and indirect, were enormous … and will continue to increase for quite some time.

The unsustainable losses to society, waste of valuable resources and environmental damage … will never be quantified and will remain unknown …

I will make no comment here about the fires, how they started, or any of the people involved on the day of the fire. 

What I can say, with clarity and precision, is that the Party Walls between the different properties utterly failed to perform, i.e. to provide adequate Fire Separation between those properties … in other words, to resist the passage of heat, smoke and flame from one side of the Party Wall to the other … both during the fire, and for a minimum period afterwards … during the ‘cooling phase’.

I was shocked at how these fires spread through the long terrace … but I was not surprised !

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Why has this serious problem with our housing stock been allowed to fester for so long ???

Most of the Answer lies not in the Relevant Functional Requirements of Part B of the Irish Building Regulations … but in this Diagram 13 below, which is contained in Technical Guidance Document B (2006): ‘Fire Safety’.  The details shown are technically incompetent, and will NOT work in a ‘real’ fire incident.  The reference to Paragraph 3.2.5.10 at the top right hand corner of the diagram is an error … the reference should be to Paragraph 3.2.5.11: ‘Junction of Compartment Wall and Roof’.

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Status of the Guidance Text in Ireland’s TGD B: ‘Fire Safety’

‘ The materials, methods of construction, standards and other specifications (including technical specifications) which are referred to in this document are those which are likely to be suitable for the purposes of the Regulations.  Where works are carried out in accordance with the guidance in this document, this will, prima facie, indicate compliance with Part B of the Second Schedule of the Building Regulations.  However, the adoption of an approach other than that outlined in the guidance is not precluded provided that the relevant requirements of the Regulations are complied with.’   [Page 2 of Technical Guidance Document B]

It is of critical importance to know and understand that Guidance Text in the Irish Technical Guidance Documents is NOT prescriptive regulation, and it is NOT ‘deemed-to-satisfy’.  All of the Technical Guidance Documents contain errors … they are not infallible documents … and, with sufficient time, technical guidance becomes outdated and inadequate.  This is routine, and to be expected.

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Similar Details to those in Diagram 13 above, which are shown in the various editions of the HomeBond House Building Manual, are equally incompetent.  Furthermore, before the First Edition of the Manual was ever published in the early 1990′s … I stated this fact, very directly, to the individual having responsibility for leading the Manual Project.

And furthermore … Similar Details, which are contained in Diagram 11 of the British (England & Wales) Building Regulations Approved Document B (2006): ‘Fire Safety’ … Volume 1 – Dwellinghouses, are just as incompetent as the Irish details.  This is compellingly relevant, at the present time, since word on the jungle drums is very strongly indicating that our Department of the Environment, Heritage & Local Government (DEHLG) is seriously considering a major updating of Ireland’s Technical Guidance Document B.  And just give one guess where they will go for the model template ??!!??   Ah, go on … go on … go on … go on … guess !!!

The Rest of the Answer can be put down to the Poor Technical Skills of Designers, Bad Workmanship on Site, building with Materials and Products which are not ‘Fit for their Intended Use’ … and an Inadequate National System of Local Authority and/or Independent Technical Control.

Check out the Party Walls in your Attic Roof Spaces today !!

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Tags: All of the Technical Guidance Documents contain errors, Bad Workmanship on Site, both during the fire and for a minimum period afterwards during the 'cooling phase', Built Environment, but I was not surprised, Check out those Attic Roof Spaces today, Client Organizations, Department of the Environment Heritage and Local Government (DEHLG), Diagram 11 of the British (England & Wales) Building Regulations Approved Document B (2006): 'Fire Safety' ... Volume 1 - Dwellinghouses, Diagram 13 below which is contained in Technical Guidance Document B (2006): 'Fire Safety', Fire Safety, fire spread through a long terrace of houses in the Dublin City Suburbs of Terenure, Guidance Text in the Irish Technical Guidance Documents is NOT prescriptive regulation and it is NOT 'deemed-to-satisfy', HomeBond House Building Manual, I was shocked at how these fires spread through the long terrace, I will make no comment here about the fires, Inadequate National System of Local Authority and/or Independent Technical Control, Ireland, it was reported that some people were injured including a firefighter, Luckily no one was killed, Materials and Products which are not 'Fit for their Intended Use', Paragraph 3.2.5.11: 'Junction of Compartment Wall and Roof', photograph, photographs in that Post, prima facie, Recent Terenure Terraced Housing Fires - Party Wall Failures, seriously considering a major updating of Ireland's Technical Guidance Document B, so widespread is this problem, Status of the Guidance Text in Ireland's TGD B: 'Fire Safety', Sustainability Implementation, Sustainable Design, Technical Control of Construction, The fire losses for everyone concerned - both direct and indirect - were enormous, the Party Walls between the different properties utterly failed to perform, the Relevant Functional Requirements of Part B of the Irish Building Regulations, The Rest of the Answer, there was NO Fire and Smoke Separation between a house and its neighbouring property, they are not infallible documents, those photographs "could have been taken in almost any house anywhere in the country", to provide adequate Fire Separation between those properties, to resist the passage of heat smoke and flame from one side of the Party Wall to the other, unsustainable losses to society waste of valuable resources and environmental damage, very far from being an April Fool's Day Joke for the owners and occupants of the buildings, which are likely to be suitable, Why has this serious problem with our housing stock been allowed to fester for so long, will continue to increase for quite some time, will never be quantified and will remain unknown, with sufficient time technical guidance becomes outdated and inadequate

WTC Building 7 – Fire-Induced Progressive Collapse on 9-11 !

2011-03-30:  I like cryptic … because it can be very energy-efficient !   This was a serious ‘real’ fire incident, and an extensive post-event investigation took place …

In August 2008 … the National Institute of Standards & Technology (USA) issued NIST NCSTAR 1A: ‘Final Report on the Collapse of World Trade Center Building 7′.  A copy of the report can be downloaded from this Page on our Corporate WebSite … http://www.sustainable-design.ie/fire/structdesfire.htm

” Had WTC 7 been expressly designed for prevention of fire-induced progressive collapse, it would have been sufficiently robust to withstand local failure due to the fires without suffering total collapse.”   [Page 58, 2008 NIST NCSTAR 1A]

Contained within Chapter 5 of that 2008 Report are 13 Recommendations (A-M) …

NIST NCSTAR 1A  Recommendation A

NIST recommends that: (1) Progressive Collapse be prevented in buildings through the development and widespread adoption of consensus standards and code provisions, along with the decision support tools and design guidelines needed for their use in practice ;

 

I have written before about ‘Fire-Induced Progressive Collapse’ and a CIB W14 International Innovation & Research Project, which I lead.  See the adjoining dedicated Page on this Blog … http://www.cjwalsh.ie/progressive-collapse-fire/ … for the background information.

Phase II of that project is examining …

• Gaps in our current understanding and practice of Structural Fire Engineering ;
• Institutional Barriers delaying the international response to NIST Recommendation A above ;
• A Rational Route Forward to meet that complex Technical Challenge.

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CIB W14 Commission Meeting in Paris, France – 11 April 2011

C.J. Walsh Research Project Presentation

Phase II: ‘Structural Reliability & Fire-Induced Progressive Collapse’

Click the Link Above to read and/or download PDF File (1.7 Mb)

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The CIB W14 International Innovation & Research Project’s Route Forward is as follows …

1.     Mainstream the Language, Practices, Procedures and Design Methodologies of Fire Science & Engineering … so that other design disciplines can appreciate that Ethical Fire Science & Engineering also has a sound, modern, rational and empirical basis.   [CIB W14 Task]

2.     Raise awareness about the primacy, and encourage the wide acceptance, of Fire Serviceability Limit States in Structural Fire Engineering … and the universal requirement that buildings must resist Fire-Induced Progressive Collapse and, in addition, also resist Disproportionate Damage.   [CIB W14 WG IV Task]

3.     Indicate the need for, and foster the development of, innovative Thermal Insulation Structural Fire Protection Systems which are durable, can resist mechanical damage in ambient and fire conditions, and can be properly shown to be ‘fit for their intended life-cycle use’.   [Industry Task]

4.     In steel construction … depending on its location in a building and having designed sufficiently robust connections for fire conditions … show why, where and how Thermal Insulation must now be used to maintain a Lower Temperature in the Steel … in order to ensure that its deformations (+/- deflection, expansion and distortion, etc.) remain within design parameters … both during the fire and, for a minimum period afterwards, during the ‘cooling phase’.   [CIB W14 WG IV Task]

5.     Encourage the development of Fire Engineering Design Guidelines for new and existing buildings, along with the Decision Support Tools needed for their use in practice … to support #2 and #4 above.  And propose how Existing Code/Regulation Provisions and Standards should be suitably updated and revised.   [International Fire Science & Engineering Community Task]

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Tags: A Rational Route Forward to meet that complex Technical Challenge, along with the Decision Support Tools needed for their use in practice, and in addition also resist Disproportionate Damage, both during the fire and for a minimum period afterwards during the 'cooling phase', British Standard BS 9999 - Code of Practice for Fire Safety in the Design Management and Use of Buildings, Built Environment, C.J. Walsh Research Project Presentation, can be properly shown to be 'fit for their intended life-cycle use', can resist mechanical damage in ambient and fire conditions, CIB W14 Commission Meeting in Paris on 11 April 2011, CIB W14 International Innovation & Research Project, CIB W14 Task, CIB W14 WG IV Task, CJ Walsh, Client Organizations, Contained within Chapter 5 of that 2008 Report are 13 Recommendations (A-M), depending on its location in a building and having designed sufficiently robust connections for fire conditions, Encourage the development of Fire Engineering Design Guidelines for new and existing buildings, Ethical Fire Science & Engineering also has a sound modern rational and empirical basis, Fire Engineering Design, Fire Safety, Fire Serviceability Limit States in Structural Fire Engineering, fire-induced progressive collapse, FireOx International, Gaps in our current understanding and practice of Structural Fire Engineering, Had WTC 7 been expressly designed for prevention of fire-induced progressive collapse, in order to ensure that its deformations (+/- deflection - expansion - distortion etc.) remain within design parameters, Industry Task, innovative Thermal Insulation Structural Fire Protection Systems which are durable, Institutional Barriers delaying the international response to NIST Recommendation A above, International Fire Science & Engineering Community Task, Mainstream the Language Practices Procedures and Design Methodologies of Fire Science & Engineering, National Institute of Standards & Technology (USA), NIST NCSTAR 1A 'Final Report on the Collapse of World Trade Center Building 7', NIST NCSTAR 1A Recommendation A, NIST recommends that: (1) Progressive Collapse be prevented in buildings, other design disciplines can appreciate, propose how Existing Code/Regulation Provisions and Standards should be suitably updated and revised, Raise awareness about the primacy and encourage the wide acceptance, steel construction, sufficiently robust to withstand local failure due to the fires without suffering total collapse, Sustainable Fire Engineering, Technical Control of Construction, the decision support tools and design guidelines needed for their use in practice, the development and widespread adoption of consensus standards and code provisions, Thermal Insulation must now be used to maintain a Lower Temperature in the Steel, universal requirement that buildings must resist Fire-Induced Progressive Collapse, WTC Building 7 - Its Fire-Induced Progressive Collapse on 9-11