Passive Fire protection of Steel Beams

[Guest DugaldG]

I am a Chartered Engineer and have lived in Inner London for 50+ years. I have become aware that a school built in 1952 may have open webbed welded steel beams (Met-Sec?) that appear to have no fire protection in some cases. I suspect that following the devolution of responsibility for schools from the ILEA to local authorities years ago responsibilities and technical knowledge for school buildings may have become diluted and over the years alterations may have taken place with the removal of fire-resisting ceilings etc to expose the beams. Sometimes the beams are actually over the Means of Escape designated route. Have the regulations changed?

[Tom Sutton]

This is a matter for Building Control and the current guidance is Approved Document B (fire safety) with the expertise of structural engineers employed by building control. The maximum fire resistance required for Means of Escape is 60 mins and I am fairly certain exposed steel beams would achieve this.