Sector
Office
Location
Miller Street, NSW
The oOh!Media Fitout at 73 Miller Street, North Sydney, involves the interior refurbishment of Levels 02 to 05 within an existing commercial office building.
The scope includes the installation of an interconnecting stair over three levels, which does not fully comply with the Deemed-to-Satisfy (DtS) provisions of the Building Code of Australia (BCA). This necessitates a performance-based fire engineering approach to ensure compliance with relevant fire safety regulations. Key constraints include maintaining egress efficiency, integrating fire suppression measures, and preserving the architectural integrity of the space.
Key Challenges
- Safety and Compliance: The interconnecting stair between Levels 02 and 04 creates an atrium-like condition that does not meet BCA Specification G3.8 fire safety requirements.
- Architectural Constraints: The project design includes glazed separations at Level 03, which deviate from standard fire-rated wall construction.
- Egress and Travel Distances: Travel distances exceed standard DtS limits, necessitating justification through performance-based fire safety engineering.
- Sprinkler Coverage: Sprinkler protection is not provided beneath the interconnecting stair flights and landings, requiring an alternative risk mitigation strategy.
- Stair Pressurisation: The existing stair pressurisation system must be modified to accommodate the performance-based compartmentation strategy.
Fire Engineering Solutions
- Developed a Performance Solution allowing stainless steel drainage pipe penetrations to be protected via alternative methods.
- Demonstrated compliance with BCA Performance Requirements mitigating fire spread risks in a sensitive healthcare setting.
The Outcomes:
- A compliant fire safety strategy that supports the refurbishment of critical dialysis services.
- A solution that integrates with the existing fire safety measures.
- A performance-based approach supporting fire safety compliance while accommodating the hospital’s operational needs.
This project highlights how fire engineering solutions can enable the seamless refurbishment of healthcare facilities while maintaining the required standard of safety and compliance.
