This part of BS 5588 provides guidance on the incorporation of one or more atria into new and existing buildings. The primary objective of the code is to ensure that the incorporation of an atrium into a building does not present an increased risk to life as a result of fire and smoke spread.
This code is concerned only with those additional measures that may be required to compensate for any increased risk resulting from the inclusion of an atrium within a building. It is not intended to provide a fire-engineered solution for any particular design.
The principles presented in this standard are applicable to all building types containing atria other than:
- prisons or other buildings intended for the confinement of persons;
- auditoria in theatres or similar places of entertainment, for which guidance is given in BS 5588-6;
- malls in shopping complexes for which guidance is given in BS 5588-10.
- small premises covered in Clause 10 of BS 5588-11;
- buildings in occupancy categories A & B (see 7.2) containing a two-storey atrium, with one of the two storeys being at ground level, which are designed for simultaneous evacuation with storey exits remote from the atrium.
This code deals only with those aspects of design, construction and management that relate specifically to the presence of an atrium within the building. Other aspects of fire safety design should be followed in accordance with appropriate legislation and codes of practice.
A range of design solutions for atrium buildings presented in this code is based on four different occupancy types:
- awake and familiar with building layout;
- awake and unfamiliar with building layout;
- sleeping risk; and
- significant number of people requiring medical or nursing care.
In addition to making recommendations intended to establish the basic requirements for life safety, this code gives guidance on measures that may be taken to reduce the potential for damage to the contents and finishes of a building.
This code presents the general principles to be adopted in the design and management of a building containing one or more atria, together with a number of exemplars for different types and occupancy of building.
The solutions are not exhaustive and other methods may exist by which an equivalent level of fire safety can be achieved. All designs based on calculations to the extent recommended in this code can be considered to be a form of fire safety engineering, and should be supported by documentation fully detailing the calculations and assumptions made, and the values of any input parameters.
The paramount importance of building management in ensuring staff training, equipment maintenance and evacuation management is recognized, and this code provides guidance to building managers on the development, documentation and implementation of a fire safety management plan.
This code is not intended to apply to buildings during the course of construction or alteration.
