Methods or Strategies for Improvement of Fire Safety in High Rise Apartment Buildings When Doing Refurbishment

Housing refurbishments in high-rise apartment buildings present special fire safety considerations, especially in respect of the outer shell. In this thesis, different approaches and solutions towards enhancement of fire safety of such structures are discussed and analyzed as for their challenges and possibilities. This thesis will discuss some of the reasons showing why fires occur in buildings including electrical faults, poor maintenance among other revealing that adherence to strict safety measures is imperative. Specifically, it talks about the fire spread across the apartments and within the common spaces of the buildings, and suggests that better management of those spaces and improved technology, as well as better fire alarms and better fire safety education of residents can go a long way to aiding in this area. The paper demonstrates the applicability of the above-mentioned strategies and highlights the need for researching fire safety aspects while designing refurbishment. From this synoptic perspective, the thesis will support the view that fire safety in high rise buildings requires more than just a set of strict standards or rules but also the understanding that new safety features in large structures require policy makers, engineers and the residents themselves to work together. Critical recommendations highlight that it is important to resume, upgrade and maintain fire safety systems, to specially provided better and innovative fire alarms and sprinklers as well as using fire resisting materials while doing refurbishment. Dispelling common misconceptions, as well as raising awareness and promoting the correct safety procedures, is also vital (Mawhinney, 2021). This is in addition to revealing why contemporary approaches within research are sometimes ineffective in their application and still therefore far from satisfactory. These observations are useful to inform and improve the understanding of fire safety in high-rising structures with best practices recommended.