To whom it may concern,

In order to facilitate the city’s urban renewal campaign, further optimize its business environment, solve the technical standard issues encountered in fire protection design and renovation project reviews, and improve overall fire protection design, the Beijing Municipal Commission of Planning and Natural Resources, through extensive research and special studies and after soliciting opinions from the public, formulated the “Fire Protection Design Guide for Renovation of Existing Buildings in Beijing (Trial Version)” (hereinafter referred to as the Guide) (see Appendix). As approved by experts, the Guide is hereby issued for implementation.

1. This Guide applies to civil building renovation in Beijing, including the renovation of existing civil buildings, and industrial plants and warehouses changing into civil building. This Guide does not apply to the renovation of historical or cultural building, or single-story courtyards, interior decoration of residential buildings, or the proprietary houses of villagers.

2. Fire protection design for renovation of existing buildings shall follow the principles listed below:

(1) Upgrading and overall improvement: Organic renewal is advised to practice the concept of green development, avoid major demolition and re-construction, and achieve overall improvement of fire safety performance.

(2) Safety and cost control: Stick to the bottom line of not reducing the original structure or fire safety standards of existing buildings, control renovation costs, improve the overall efficacy of the renovation, and balance safety and engineering economy.

(3) Overall planning with innovative methods: Respect the current status and history of the building under renovation, take into account the differences between the new and old technical standards, and improve fire protection by adopting scientific technical measures and strengthening use management, coordinate the feasibility and technical rationality of the renovation.

3. Before initiating the renovation, the construction unit may entrust a qualified design institution or conduct a comprehensive fire safety assessment on its own, and formulate an assessment report. The assessment shall focus on the technical feasibility and implementability of the renovation, and the content of the assessment shall include the following:

 (1) Compliance with the original technical standards of fire protection for existing buildings, and the structure and fire safety performance under the current state of use;

(2) The fire protection technical standards difference incurred by the renovation, and the difficulty of implementing the new standards;

 (3) Weak links in fire protection of existing buildings, and the evacuation and rescue scheme in the case of fire emergencies;

(4) The technical rationality, engineering economy and building safety of the proposed renovation plan;

(5) Management requirements for ensuring fire safety in later use stages.

According to the actual needs of the assessment, the construction unit may entrust a design institution or carry out on-site surveys, data collection, structural appraisal, and component or equipment performance testing on its own.

 4. The design institution shall clearly indicate in the design document its compliance with this Guide. For fire protection designs not covered by this Guide, it shall comply with the existing technical standards for fire protection and relevant laws and regulations. For other fire-fighting problems that cannot be solved by the use of this Guide, the construction unit shall propose a design solution, and the Beijing Municipal Commission of Planning and Natural Resources will organize an expert review for special fire-protection design in the renovation of existing buildings.

5. After the completion of the renovation, the owner of the property and its user, and the property management unit shall strictly implement the management measures proposed in the renovation design to ensure fire safety of the building.

6. This Guide serves as a technical reference for the fire protection design and review for renovation of existing buildings.

This Guide will be implemented from the date of issuance, and all relevant units shall comply with this Guide.

Appendix: Fire Protection Design Guide for Renovation of Existing Buildings in Beijing (Trial Version).pdf

Beijing Municipal Commission of Planning and Natural Resources

March 18, 2021