After the blazes in Glasgow and Nottingham,it's vital to remember how vulnerable buildings can be,writes Owen Pritchard

摘要

Two academic buildings were set ablaze last year, the Mack in Glasgow and the GlaxoSmithKline building on Nottingham University's Jubilee Campus. The former was a much-loved building and the fire system that could have stopped the blaze spreading through the historic structure was weeks away from being operational. Thanks to the Glasgow fire service much of the building was preserved and a fiery debate as to whether the library should be restored or renewed will now ensue. In this month's overview Stewart Kidd outlines specifying fire suppression systems in historic buildings. In Nottingham, the timber framed GSK building that burned to the ground never had the chance to become loved - as the fire started before the building was completed. The blaze was started by an electrical fault, and as the building was only around 70 per cent complete, the fire spread with ferocity and ease. There is no suggestion that safety requirements were not met in the building. As windows and fire-retardant surfaces are not fitted until later in the process, a timber frame building is especially at risk from fire during construction.