Premium Commercial registration provides access to both Domestic / Residential sections & the Commercial Module which includes:

• 1050+ Detail Drawings
• 1800+ Specifications
• Note: this includes both the Domestic/Residential Specifications & Detail Drawings in the Premium Package as part of the Premium Commercial.

The Commercial Module provides Building Regs Specifications & Detail Drawings relating to Buildings with the following purposes:

• Offices / Office Buildings
• Shops & Commercial Buildings
• Assembly & Recreation Buildings
• Industrial Buildings
• Storage & Other Non-Residential Buildings

On opening the Commercial page, there is a list of categories down the left-hand side. (See Right ->)

Some areas of particular relevance to Commercial Building Projects include:

• Part B - Fire Safety, Fire Regulations, Fire Resistance
• Part E - Soundproofing
• Part F - Ventilation
• Part G - Sanitation, Washrooms etc
• Part L - Cons of Fuel and Power
• Part M - Access & Use
• Part S - Vehicle Charging
• Part T - Provision of Toilets

The Means of Escape subsection has further subcategories including

• Travel distances - includes subsections relating to: (see note for Travel Distances below)

  Small premises | Other buildings | Plant room or Roof-Top plant | Place of special fire hazard

• Exit widths to the storey exit
• Escape/protected stairs
• Escape corridors
• Inner rooms
• Provision of disabled refuges
• Final exits
• Escape lighting
• Fire signage
• Doors - includes subsections relating to:

  Doors on escape route | Vision panels in doors | Revolving and automatic doors | Electrically powered locks | Doors between buildings

• Escape over a flat roof
• Lifts (See note Specifying for Individual Elements [Lift Fire Regulations] below)

When working through the categories of the Commercial Specifications please also view the 'Guidance notes' which have been incorporated into the Commercial Specifications section, above the 'General Notes' category, for ease of access. The notes are relevant and often important.

Do also look at any header notes in red above the categories and specifications as they may contain useful references and/or info on relevance of the specs.

Some of the Red Notes also indicate where there are conditions or where a spec might need to be adjusted in accordance with the details and requirements of your project.

Specifying for individual Elements

When considering an element within the building, it may be necessary to provide specifications relating to various aspects of it.

For example, when specifying a Lift, it may be nesessary to add a spec for Fire Regulations for lifts from the category:

Fire Regulations >> Means of escape >> Lifts (See note below).

The note in red above that section references another category within the Commercial Specs:

See Section - Part M - vertical circulation for additional guidance on lifts. Passenger lift to be provided wherever possible.

We then navigate to that section:

Part M (Access and Use) >> Horizontal and vertical circulation >> Vertical circulation to find the categories for:

Passenger lifts | Lifting platforms | Wheelchair stairlifts

We can choose the Spec, for example, for Passenger Lifts

Minimum Periods of Fire Resistance (Approved Document B) for Offices, Shops, Assembly / Recreation / Storage / Industrial Buildings

One area of particular importance in relation to Fire Safety, for Shops, Offices, Assembly / Storage and Industrial Buildings, is Fire Resistance.

The design and construction of the building should ensure that, in the case of a fire:

• Spread of fire within the building is inhibited.
• Unseen spread of fire & smoke within concealed spaces in its structure & fabric is inhibited.
• Premature building collapse is avoided.
• Spread of fire to adjoining buildings is prevented.

Minimum periods of fire resistance have been established to provide:

• Resistance to collapse (applying to loadbearing elements)
• Resistance to fire penetration
• Resistance to the transfer of excessive heat

For certain elements within the structure, the minimum periods of Fire Resistance should be specified.

Elements to which this applies, may include (but may not be limited to):

• Loadbearing Elements (Walls, Beams, Steels, Columns)
• External Walls, Compartment Walls
• Galleries
• Floor Structures
• Walls and Roofs along an escape route
• Protected Stairs, Protected Corridors
• Places of Special Fire Hazard
• Cavity Barriers
• Ducts
• Ceilings
• Casings around drainage systems
• Flue Walls

Minimum period of Fire Resistance may also be specified according to Building Type, whether Offices, Shops, Assembly and Recreation, Industrial or Storage Buildings.

When determining the minimum period of fire resistance for any given Building Type, it usually depends upon other factors, including:

• Height of the Floor above ground level.
• In case of Basements, depth of the basement.
• Presence of Automatic Fire Suppression Systems, Sprinklers etc.

See the Commercial Building Regulations Module for more information and Specifications for Fire Resistance

Note: there may be other criteria other than those listed here.

• Premises Type: Small Premises / Office / Shop / Assembly / Recreation / Industrial / Storage etc.
• Storey / Number of Storeys (Basement / Ground / First Storey)
• Stair Type: Protected / Enclosed / Open Stair
• Number of Escape Routes / Exits
• Room Occupancy (Maximum number of people)
• Floor area per storey.
• Whether room is a Place of Special Fire Hazard (Switch Gear Room, Boiler Room, Fuel Storage etc.)

Part M: Access and Use

Some important aspects of Access and Use include:

• Building Approach (Level Access, Ramped Access, Stepped Access)

Depending upon the type of access provided, certain factors may need to be taken into account including.

• Approach Width
• Gradient
• Crossing-Points
According to criteria, it may be necessary to provide:
• Handrails
• Guarding
• Lighting
• Signage
• Kerb / Upstand
• Warning Surface / Blister Surface / Tactile Paving Surface

• Building Entrance
• Horizontal & Vertical Cirulation. See also: Fire Regulations > Means of Escape

Horizontal / Vertical Circulation includes:

• Corridors & Passageways
• Lifts (Passenger Lifts / Lifting Platforms / Wheelchair Stairlifts / Internal Stairs)
• Reception
• Internal Doors
• Car Parking. See also: Part S [Vehicle Charging] and Fire Regulations > Fire Service Access
• Sanitory Accommodation. See also: Part T [Toilets]

See the Commercial Building Regs Module for more information and Specifications for Part M (Access and Use)