Specialist Systems, Research and Technical Leadership
Fire Suppression
Fire suppression systems are a critical part of many fire safety strategies, but their requirements can sometimes fall between the scope of the fire engineer, building services engineer and specialist contractor.
If the basis of design is not clearly defined early, projects can experience inconsistent tender returns, increased RFIs, late-stage clarification and coordination issues.
OFR has a dedicated fire suppression team providing advice across a range of systems, including sprinklers, water mist, gaseous suppression, foam and aerosol systems. Our team includes chartered engineers specialising in active fire protection systems and supports projects from early feasibility through to handover, occupation and portfolio review.
We help clients define what the system needs to achieve, coordinate suppression requirements with the wider fire strategy, review specialist contractor proposals and provide independent technical assurance during design and construction.
Fire suppression feasibility studies
Fire suppression system selection studies
Basis of design notes
Spatial coordination and optimisation reviews
Hazard classification reviews
Enhanced performance specifications
Design intent drawings
Tender return reviews and contractor comparisons
Specialist contractor design reviews
Review of hydraulic calculations
Gateway 2 fire sprinkler system support
Site inspections of work in progress
Final inspection and witnessing of testing and commissioning
Existing fire suppression system reviews
Independent third-party inspections
Fire suppression portfolio review and benchmarking
Technical support, workshops and training
Research
Research is central to OFR’s commitment to technical leadership, continual improvement and the advancement of fire safety engineering practice.
We undertake and support research that helps address emerging challenges in the built environment, improve technical understanding and inform better decision-making.
Our research activity connects academic insight, industry experience and practical project delivery. We work with clients, universities, industry bodies and our own engineers to explore complex fire safety questions, test assumptions and develop evidence that can inform design decisions, guidance, policy and professional practice.
For clients, our research capability can support project-specific technical investigations, evidence reviews, interpretation of test data, development of technical position papers and research-led approaches to novel designs, materials or construction methods.
A list of recent publications and ongoing projects are available on the OFR ResearchGate webpages.
Applied fire safety research
Literature reviews and technical evidence reviews
Research-led support for novel designs, materials and construction methods
Experimental design, observation and interpretation
Interpretation of fire test evidence
Client-funded research and technical investigations
Collaboration with academic and industry partners
Development of technical guidance and internal knowledge resources
Technical papers, conference presentations and thought leadership
Support for industry working groups, standards and best-practice development
Internal research projects and knowledge transfer