CASE STUDY — HEALTHCARE SECTOR

Meadow Heath Health Centre — Roof Space Fire Compartmentation Retrofit

LOCATION: Nottingham, East Midlands

SECTOR: Healthcare / NHS

ACCREDITATION: FIRAS Certified

We delivered a rapid, fully certified passive fire compartmentation upgrade within the complex roof-spaces of an active NHS health centre — completing the works on time, with zero disruption to ongoing clinical operations.

THE CHALLENGE

Bringing a Busy Health Centre Up to Code

The Meadow Heath Health Centre in south-east Nottingham was undergoing a significant merger of two GP practices under the direction of Nottingham City Clinical Commissioning Group. During preparatory surveys, it became clear that the fire compartmentation within the building's extensive roof-space had fallen out of compliance.

The combination of the building's age, previous alterations carried out over the years, and updates to fire regulations under Approved Document B meant that existing fire-stopping measures no longer met current standards. Issues with the original installation, compounded by subsequent damage, required a comprehensive and technically precise upgrade to restore compliant compartmentation and prevent the risk of fire "burn-over."

• Non-compliant roof-space compartmentation

• Damage to original fire-stopping installation

• Complex roof geometry requiring bespoke details

• Live healthcare facility — minimal disruption required

• Tight two-week programme

Regulatory context

• Approved Document B compliance

• BS EN 1363-1:2022 (fire resistance testing)

• BS EN 1364-2 (non-loadbearing elements)

• FIRAS scheme accreditation required

• Protected zone specification: 1,500mm either side of wall

OUR APPROACH

A Designed Solution, Not Just an Installation

Following a detailed inspection of the roof-space, we worked in close consultation with FIREFLY® Technical Manager Chris Boam to develop a design solution tailored to the specific geometry and compliance requirements of the building. Rather than a standard fix, a fully engineered compartmentation system was proposed — one that addressed both the structural complexity and the need for long-term certified performance.

Our four-man team completed all works within the agreed two-week programme, installing FIREFLY® Zeus Lite 90:30 vertical and horizontal barriers in combination with the FB180 Ablative Batt system to create protected zones extending 1,500mm either side of each wall. Batts were mechanically fixed and finished with intumescent mastic and brush-applied ablative coating. FIREFLY® FR120 Access Hatches were also installed to provide compliant access to the upgraded compartments.

"Some issues with the original installation and subsequent damage meant the compartmentation required significant improvement and we made use of the FB180 Batt system to ensure that any fire cannot break through and cause burn-over. It was a technically complex job, and the work went quite smoothly — the whole job is certified under our FIRAS scheme accreditation."

Daniel Oldacre, Contracts Manager — Krasi Fire Protection

OUTCOME

Certified, Compliant, On Time

• Full Approved Document B compliance restored across all roof-space compartments

• 90 minutes integrity and 30 minutes insulation achieved

• All works certified under our FIRAS scheme accreditation

• Contract completed within the agreed two-week programme

• Compliant roof-space access maintained via FR120 Access Hatches

• Zero disruption to ongoing clinical operations at the health centre