Why real projects rarely match the test

Even where tested fire protection systems have been specified, real projects seldom match the tested configuration exactly. Deviation comes from geometry and interfaces, buildability, architectural intent, product substitution and site-driven change.

Left unresolved, the result is an installation that is unverified against tested evidence and potentially non-compliant.

This is not a niche problem. It is encountered every day across new-build, refurbishment, remediation and adaptive reuse projects, from standard buildings to the most complex infrastructure.

Where the gap opens up

Project teams, surveyors and fire engineers can usually identify a non-standard detail. Far fewer are equipped to resolve it and route it through testing, EXAP or a defensible engineering judgement aligned with PFP methodology. The gap tends to open in four steps:

1. Problem identified. The deviation is spotted, in design or on site.
2. No technical owner. No one is equipped to resolve it.
3. Programme risk. The question stays open while the programme moves on.
4. Evidence pathway. A defensible resolution, backed by evidence.

Our independent PFP Compliance & Testing Advisory service exists to own the fourth step.

A structured, evidence-led route to compliance

Every non-standard detail is worked through the same hierarchy of evidence, so the pathway chosen is the most robust one available, not simply the most convenient.

1. Direct test evidence. A fire test report showing the proposed product, configuration and installation fall within the tested scope, from an accredited or internationally recognised test laboratory.
2. Classification report. A report (for example under the EN 13501 series) confirming the application falls within the classified scope.
3. Technical Assessment. A PFP-compliant assessment issued by a competent body: a test laboratory or a suitably qualified consultancy.
4. EXAP. A review of whether Extended Field of Application methodology allows tested scope to be supported within a Technical Assessment.
5. Project-specific judgement. A fully documented engineering judgement from a competent specialist, supported by available evidence and accepted engineering principles.
6. Re-design or new test. Where none of the above apply, the detail is altered or new testing is commissioned.

Why the skillset is scarce

Steps three and four are where the real value sits, and where few consultancies are equipped to operate. They call for four things:

• Testing fluency. Working knowledge of EN and BS fire test standards, furnace behaviour and the limits of tested scope.
• PFP methodology. The governing Technical Assessment of Fire Performance framework, under which most fire engineers are not trained assessors.
• A lab network. Established relationships with accredited and internationally recognised fire testing laboratories across the UK, Europe and the Middle East, covering small-scale and large-scale testing, commissioning, witnessing and interpretation.
• Judgement on when not to. Knowing precisely where EXAP ends and new testing or redesign begins. That judgement protects clients, insurers and building control.

Where the service adds value

The service plugs directly into the work Joule already delivers, and is equally available as a standalone commission to manufacturers, Tier 1 contractors, developers and owner/operators. We work independently with leading accredited laboratories to develop, coordinate and interpret fire testing programmes tailored to each project's compliance objectives.

• Fire engineering. Supporting fire engineers by resolving non-standard details, with test strategy, technical assessments, EXAP and engineering judgement where tested solutions cannot be directly applied.
• External walls and façades. Closing out technical evidence on complex geometries, interfaces and penetrations, and turning site-driven deviation into a defensible compliance position.
• RIBA 5/6 site survey. Reviewing deviations and substitutions as they arise, and producing the evidence pack that stands up at handover.
• Remediation. A route to compliance for legacy non-standard installations where the original detail cannot be replicated.
• International delivery. Product substitution review, construction-stage support and testing liaison on complex projects across Europe, the UAE and KSA.

It applies across new build, refurbishment and adaptive reuse, remediation, product substitution, complex interfaces, and sustainability and circular economy work.

Who leads the service

The service is led by Agnieszka Melling-Sawicka, Associate Director and Service Lead, and John Noone, CEO and Co-Founder of Joule Group.

Agnieszka has a background in passive fire protection and degrees in Civil Engineering and Structural and Mechanical Engineering. She combines strong technical expertise with practical, hands-on industry experience. John is a Chartered Engineer specialising in the fire safety design of complex commercial, residential and mixed-use buildings and transportation facilities.

Joule Group delivers fire engineering for complex projects, high-rise buildings and critical infrastructure across the UK, Ireland and the Middle East. 

Get in touch

If you are dealing with a non-standard passive fire protection detail, talk to us before it becomes a site problem. Email PFP@joule-group.com or call +44 (0) 28 7127 7497.