From gateway to delivery: How digital approaches are redefining firestopping strategies

WSP’s Johnathan Munkley shares how digitally driven processes are transforming firestopping compliance

Delays stemming from poor coordination, missing documentation or unclear responsibilities can derail project timelines by weeks or even months in some cases. In fact, industry reports estimate that rework accounts for up to 30 per cent of construction costs in the UK, showcasing the magnitude of inefficiency affecting the built environment.

This challenge has been further amplified by the Building Safety Act 2022, which enforces a rigorous building control regime for higher-risk buildings. This requires dutyholders to meet specific requirements to progress between three gateways, ensuring compliance from planning all the way through to completion.

WSP’s Head of Digital Services Johnathan Munkley says: “Many projects continue to operate with siloed data, manual processes and reactive fixes applied late in the project’s timeline. This fragmented approach not only causes unexpected delays but also heightens the level of risk borne by contractors.”

As WSP’s Expect Different playbook highlights, digital tools are essential to overcoming this, enabling teams to streamline processes, centralise data and embed fire safety from the outset.

Digital’s new role in safety

Building Information Modelling (BIM) isn’t new to the construction industry, but its role is evolving. Its capabilities have expanded beyond visualising spaces; it is now a key tool for compliance. It can help maintain building safety information and support better decisions across disciplines working on projects.

Lansdowne House. CREDIT: AHMM

On Lansdowne House, a major commercial development in London, Mace Construct teamed up with WSP and CLM Fireproofing to rethink passive fire protection and put a new revolutionary digital process to the test. This innovative approach incorporated BIM and a set of “Golden Rules” to analyse and spot compliance gaps at RIBA Stage 4 of the project, reducing risk and improving buildability.

David Glennon, Group Head of Digital Engineering at Mace Construct says: “This marks an important step towards improving accountability and strengthening compliance across the built environment. It’s great to see the industry getting behind this approach. Collaboration and shared expertise are crucial if we want to make real progress and drive meaningful change towards more consistent and safer practices.”

How passive firestopping can be improved through an integrated approach

Complex projects can streamline building regulation compliance by adopting a structured, collaborative approach – ensuring clarity and consistency before construction begins.

Here’s how the process reshapes approaches to passive firestopping:

• Establishes an accurate baseline: Structural, architectural and building services data are combined to give a complete view of Builders Work in Connection (BWIC), creating a solid foundation to understand the full design and set a reliable baseline for firestopping.
• Defines clear compliance standards: Mace Construct, WSP and CLM Fireproofing developed a set of “Golden Rules” for passive fire protection, covering location, size, spacing and approved products. These rules provide design teams with a consistent and actionable framework from the outset.
• Model-based testing for assurance: Each BWIC element is digitally modelled and tested against the “Golden Rules” using a Red-Amber-Green (RAG) system. This visual approach highlights non-compliant (red), partially compliant (amber) and fully compliant (green) details, enabling early issue resolution.
• Enhances decision-making through immersive review: Findings are presented in interactive 3D cave workshops, where visual models, dashboards and clash detection tools bring the data to life. This helps teams quickly pinpoint problem areas, apply the “Golden Rules” in context and document fully compliant solutions with confidence.

Closing thoughts

Digital solutions can help teams move from reactive fixes to proactive planning, embedding fire safety into every layer of a project. As regulations evolve, adaptable digital-driven solutions and approaches will be key to better navigating complex and stringent building regulations.

Interested in learning more about delivering resilient projects for now and the future? Download WSP’s Expect Different playbook.