ABSTRACT
Fire safety engineering design of structures must be considered of equal importance within the overall process of design as either the conventional ambient structural design, whether at ultimate or serviceability limit states, or the effects of other accidental actions such as earthquake or explosion. Fire safety engineering still has a very promising and potentially rewarding future provided it is not fettered by prescriptive or legislative rules which prevent the engineer from taking properly argued engineering judgements. It is feared that decisions based on emotive responses may control or overturn those based on full scientific principles. The single fire test on the concrete frame at Cardington was interesting, but it should not necessarily be concluded from the test on a flat slab structure with diagonal steel bracing that the result can be extrapolated to other more traditional forms of concrete construction, nor to construction using partially or totally pre-cast concrete elements.
