Constructed facilities worldwide can be exposed to extreme loads, particularly in the form of fire, blast and impact. Understandably, authorities and asset owners require robust mitigation measures to safeguard against these risks (including progressive collapse). However, relying solely on prescriptive methods often results in conventional design and retrofit solutions that are costly and carbon-intensive. Strict adherence to one-size-fits-all rules can stifle design creativity, limit architectural expression, and, in some cases, compromising performance against the very loads the design is intended to mitigate.

Our expertise in advanced computational mechanics, combined with extensive real-world design experience, enables us to accurately simulate how a wide range of assets respond to abnormal loads. This sophisticated approach reveals the inherent strength and ductility reserves present in engineered systems—qualities that cannot be reliably quantified using conventional design methodologies.

With a comprehensive understanding of how structures and components behave under fire, impact and blast conditions, our teams significantly optimise physical mitigation measures while maintaining required safety levels. One area of specialisation is performance-based structural fire engineering, where we have an excellent track record of strategically optimising passive fire protection to ensure full compliance with fire safety requirements without unnecessary overdesign.