Assessing Compliance in Existing Buildings Legal Principles for Applying Evolving Codes A recurring issue in construction defect disputes, regulatory enforcement, and expert evidence is the question of which building codes and standards apply when assessing...
What Happens When a Fire Safety Engineer Peer Reviews a Design? A peer review is more than a second set of eyes. Fire engineering designs can involve complex assumptions, calculations, modelling and engineering judgement. An independent review provides an opportunity...
Through our fire safety expert witness work, we've noticed the same issues arise time and again across building litigation matters. One of the most common involves product substitution. A specified product may become unavailable, too expensive or subject to long lead...
A building can be compliant when it's completed—but is it still performing as originally designed years later? A fire safety performance gap can develop when building alterations, maintenance or renovations change the way fire safety systems perform without...
On 27 March 2026, the Federal Court of Australia handed down its judgment in the matter of The Owners – Strata Plan No 87231 v 3A Composites GmbH (No 10) [2026] FCA 351. This significant class action revolved around two aluminium composite panel (ACP) products -...
Are you concerned about large-scale lithium-ion battery storage facilities being developed near your community? Earlier this year, Fire and Rescue NSW updated their large-scale external lithium-ion battery energy storage systems (BESS) technical information sheet,...
The 10th International Tall Building Fire Safety Conference was held in Canary Wharf, London, on 20–21 May 2026. Russ Timpson, founder and organiser of the Tall Building Fire Safety Network, invited Christina Knorr to present at this prestigious international event....
When “Stay Put” Strategies Fail The apartment fire that occurred in Valencia on 22 February 2024 has become one of the most significant high-rise residential fire events in recent years. Initial reports indicated that the fire originated on a balcony before rapidly...