Exponent’s fire protection engineers offer services for the protection of life, property, business operation, and the environment from the harmful effects of fire. In the unfortunate event of a fire or explosion, Exponent's fire protection engineers can evaluate the associated performance of fire detection and suppression system in industrial, commercial, transportation, and residential environments and the involvement of materials and products in these fires. Exponent fire protection engineers have extensive experience in both analytical and experimental investigation and analysis techniques.

Our services include:

Fire Protection Systems Evaluation
Failures of fire detection, alarm, and suppression systems can range from defects in single system components to extensive system inadequacies. The failure of these systems can lead to extensive loss of life or property. The source of these failures can include inadequate design techniques, improper installation, or defective materials or components. Building designs are becoming more complex and buildings naturally change and evolve over time. Exponent's fire protection engineers are often challenged to analyze the performance of fire protection systems to determine the root cause of a failure and to identify inadequacies. This routinely helps our clients to improve their system configuration.

Fire and Flammability Testing
From time to time, litigation actions may focus on the source of ignition of a fire. Other times, the spread of a fire is the focus. Some times, the standard by which products are examined is their reaction when exposed to fire. Exponent engineers are experienced with numerous small, intermediate, and large-scale flammability testing methods, including those published by the NFPA, UL, CBHF, and ASTM. In addition, Exponent engineers routinely develop, design, and conduct specialized flammability testing protocols that utilize a variety of experimental methods for the evaluation of products that fall outside the scope of industry accepted flammability tests. Flammability tests are conducted in-house in our laboratory facilities and in cooperation with other fire research facilities located throughout the world. Our engineers keep up with the most current research and experimental methods to ensure that our clients have access to the best tools available.

Fire Modeling and Computational Analysis
Computer fire modeling can be used to predict fire behavior under the specific conditions in an effort to determine likely hazards and to assist in performance based design. Computer modeling can also be used to recreate and validate fire scenarios. Exponent engineers routinely use both zone and field models to simulate fires in buildings and other enclosures. The results of models are used to:

• Assess the effects of a fire on structural components
• Evaluating fire and smokespread within a building
• Evaluate the effectiveness of fire suppression systems
• Post-fire reconstruction
• Perform life safety analyses.

Performance Based Code and Code Compliance Surveys and Analyses
Building owners and operators often require performance based code analyses in an effort to address code compliance issues in facilities and occupancies of novel architectural designs. Exponent fire protection engineers identify possible fire scenarios that include considerations for fire hazard identification, fire detection, alarm, and suppression system activations and failures, and fire growth scenarios. Our engineers have extensive experience in assisting our clients with interpretations of both national and international building, plumbing, mechanical, electrical, and fire prevention codes including those published by the NFPA, BOCA, and the ICC.

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