Fire prevention services operated by Barcelona City Council and the Government of Catalonia share unique criteria on the certification of performance-based projects (an alternative to projects based on normative prescription). This type of design is used for unique and iconic buildings which do not fit in with existing regulations and is generally accompanied by IT simulations for fire or evacuation procedures.
The technical criteria for the design and validation of a project of this type is published on the website for the fire prevention service operated by the Government of Catalonia and has recently been updated with the certificate model PBD-4. The Barcelona Fire Service is publishing the file 1.19, “Performance-based project”, which sets out the same criteria in a similar way as the Catalan fire service does on its site.
This technical session explains the vision of both corps regarding the certification and validation of performance-based projects.
The session will cover the following:
- Basic concepts for performance-based design
- Validation and operative intervention by fire services in performance-based design
- Requirements of the administration in performance-based design projects
- Project certification: PBD documents
- Assessment by a specialised independent body
The session will be given by: Carles Noguera, head of the Fire Prevention Service of Catalonia, Joan Curtó, specialist from the Normative and Performance-based Unit of the Barcelona Fire Service, and Victor Molinet, head of the Normative and Performance-based Unit of the Barcelona Fire Service.
Information on performance-based design by the two corps can be found here:
- Barcelona Fire Service files: https://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/bombers/ca/fitxes-de-prevencio-dincendis
- Fire Prevention Service of Catalonia, “Performance-based design”: https://interior.gencat.cat/ca/arees_dactuacio/bombers/prevencio_d_incendis/normativa_aplicable/Disseny_basat_en_prestacions_PBD/