Case Study
Eastland fire & smoke compartmentation
Background
Eastland Shopping Centre is a multi-level commercial complex with a combination of retail, office spaces, and car parks. As part of routine fire compliance measures, the centre required an assessment of its fire and smoke compartmentation to ensure compliance with building regulations and fire safety codes. Stokes Safety was engaged to undertake a fire and smoke wall mapping inspection. The objective was to verify the location of fire-rated walls, doors, and smoke compartments to assess compliance and confirm their effectiveness in controlling fire and smoke spread.
Challenges
Several fire contractors had previously reported defects that would have required significant repairs and modifications, incurring high costs for the shopping centre owner. However, there was uncertainty about the actual locations of fire and smoke barriers, and whether the reported issues were valid.
Key challenges included:
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Inaccurate evacuation plans that did not reflect current fire exit layouts.
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Uncertainty about fire isolation of certain corridors and back-of-house areas.
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Gaps in essential safety measure documentation, making it difficult to assess compliance.
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Limited access to some tenancies and under-refurbishment areas.
Inspection Process
Stokes Safety conducted a detailed site inspection over two days, covering common areas, service corridors, and carparks. The scope of the inspection included:
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Mapping fire-rated walls and doors to confirm fire compartmentation.
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Identifying smoke separation measures, including smoke doors and signage compliance.
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Verifying structural fire safety elements such as wall wetting sprinkler protection.
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Reviewing escape routes and fire-isolated exits for compliance.
Key Metrics
126,948
Retail Floor Area
318
Stores and services
4