Fire Engineering Consultancy – Fenchurch Street Station
Project Overview
New Terra Compliance provided fire engineering consultancy in support of refurbishment works to the south side of Fenchurch Street Station, a Category A London terminal station.
The commission spanned GRIP Stages 4 to 8, with fire engineering input provided throughout detailed design, construction, commissioning, and handover. The works were undertaken within a live operational station environment, requiring careful coordination with security, operations, and existing station fire strategies.
Scope of Refurbishment Works
The project comprised significant alterations across multiple station areas:
South Concourse
Demolition and reconfiguration of the existing concourse
Introduction of two new retail units
New plant room and ancillary accommodation
Boiler Room
Removal of existing gas services
Installation of new low-voltage electrical infrastructure
Creation of a dedicated UPS room
Basement Areas
Full reconfiguration of the basement spatial layout
Provision of new retail storage areas
Formation of a new station refuse store
Fire Engineering Scope
New Terra Compliance supported the client with:
Fire engineering input throughout GRIP 4 to 8
Review and development of fire strategy principles in line with refurbishment scope
Engineering support for a new station-wide networked fire alarm system
Engineering input to the Public Address and Voice Alarm (PAVA) system
Review of means of escape, fire separation, and fire safety system interfaces
Coordination with architectural, structural, MEP, and security requirements
Key Fire Safety Challenges
Category A Terminal Station Constraints
As a major London terminal station, the works were subject to Station Security in Design of Stations (SIDOS) requirements. These imposed stringent constraints on construction detailing, including:
Bomb blast wall design
Glazing performance
Windposts and structural interfaces
These requirements created inherent tensions between security design, fire separation, cost, and buildability.
Fire Separation and Retail Glazing
The approved fire strategy from earlier project stages required fire separation between the concourse and the new retail units. However, achieving glazing that was both bomb blast rated and fire rated was not feasible due to cost and construction constraints.
New Terra Compliance developed a fire engineered solution based on ASET/RSET analysis, demonstrating that acceptable life safety could be achieved without reliance on fire-resisting glazing. This approach removed the need for fire separation at the retail frontage while maintaining compliance with the functional fire safety objectives.
Our Approach
We applied proportionate fire engineering analysis, balancing life safety, security, constructability, and operational requirements. The solution was developed to integrate seamlessly with the station’s fire detection, alarm, and evacuation strategy, ensuring clarity for both operational staff and emergency responders.
Outcome
The refurbishment works were supported by a robust and defensible fire engineering justification, enabling the project to progress through construction and into operation while maintaining compliance with fire safety and security requirements.
Fire engineering consultancy for London railway stations, terminal station refurbishments, concourse alterations, and complex rail infrastructure projects.