Evacuation planning and calculations
Evacuation planning considers a building’s occupants, layout and escape options together. We prepare evacuation calculations and documentation suited to the fire safety question, in coordination with the other disciplines.
Who we work with
For clients, architects, lead designers and operators preparing new buildings, alterations or changes of use.
What the work delivers
- Defined evacuation inputs
- A summary of the affected areas, occupant groups, numbers and routes to be assessed, identifying information that remains uncertain.
- Traceable evacuation documentation
- Evacuation calculations using the agreed method, with the technical descriptions and drawings specified in the commission.
- Decisions for the design team
- Evacuation questions arising from the layout, circulation spaces, doors and use, with options that need further coordination.
Evacuation planning starts with occupants and layout
An office reconfiguration, a shop fit-out or a change of use can alter where people start, how many are present and which routes they use. We therefore begin evacuation planning by clarifying the purpose of the assessment. This may involve evaluating a layout option, preparing for a proposed use or refining an existing design.
The distribution of occupants within the building matters alongside their total number. Permanent workspaces, spaces visited intermittently and interconnected tenancies raise different questions. We also discuss design considerations relating to familiarity with the building and occupant groups requiring assistance. A group-level description of building occupants is sufficient for the quote request; names or individual details of the occupants are not needed for this purpose.
Evacuation calculations, routes and options
An evacuation calculation needs to identify the layout, occupant numbers and assumptions to which it applies. We record the assessed configuration, the connections between routes and the method used. Where the team needs to choose between layouts, we agree in advance which options to compare and what question the comparison should answer.
Evacuation calculation findings relate to architectural decisions. Moving a door or changing a room’s use can affect other design packages, so we coordinate the resulting questions with the relevant designers. The delivered documentation makes it possible to trace the inputs and identify what needs to be reviewed if the design changes later.
Evacuation planning, simulation and fire emergency plans
Evacuation simulation can examine defined escape scenarios through a computer model. We decide whether to use it based on the engineering question; simulation is not automatically included in every evacuation commission. Smoke spread assessment addresses a different question again, and any relationship between the two models needs to be defined separately.
A fire emergency plan sets out an organisation’s actions during a fire, while a wall-mounted escape plan helps people find their way. Preparing multilingual escape drawings tailored to each display location is a separate service. Evacuation design findings may inform these documents, but their purposes and readers differ. In your request, describe who will use the finished material and in what situation. This helps us identify the fire safety deliverable you need accurately.
How evacuation documentation is prepared
We first review the available architectural and fire safety drawings and unresolved evacuation questions. For existing buildings, we establish how closely the drawings reflect the current premises and whether information needs to be checked on site. We then agree the assessment boundaries and deliverables, carry out the calculations, discuss the findings with the design team and finalise the documentation.
In the quote request, select building fire safety design and describe the purpose of the evacuation assessment. List the available floor plans, earlier calculations and other documents. We clarify missing inputs and arrangements for transferring documents during the subsequent discussion.
Questions before you start
Are evacuation calculations and evacuation simulation the same?
No. Calculations and simulation are different assessment methods. We agree the appropriate method and deliverables based on the question and the information available. The scope of any simulation is defined separately.
What does preparing an evacuation plan mean in this service?
It means developing routes and evacuation arrangements for the design project, supported by the agreed calculations and drawings. Please specify separately if you need a displayed escape plan or a fire emergency plan describing organisational actions, as these documents serve different purposes.
Can we start without final occupant numbers or floor plans?
Yes, we can begin preparing the evacuation planning scope. Please identify estimates and layouts that may change. We clarify the assessment inputs and the information needed for completion when defining the technical scope of the quotation.
Which floor area should I enter in the quote request?
Enter the combined net floor area of all storeys affected by the assessment. Do not multiply this total by the number of storeys again. If only part of a building is involved, describe its boundaries and its connections to shared routes.
Let’s discuss your project.
Tell us where the project stands and what decision you need to make. The quote request helps you organise the available information.
Request a quoteProfessional background
The following sources provide professional background. The requirements and scope of your project are assessed individually.