SFE News

Article category: News
Published on: 12 Dec 24

CWCT Update SFE Newsletter Winter 2024

Our AGM was held recently and was a great success! Following feedback from last year’s event, we had a bigger venue this year so that 300 people were able to join us for excellent presentations, important dissemination, discussion and networking.

Article category: News
Published on: 12 Dec 24

Society of Façade Engineering Alumni event feedback

In October, we hosted the SFE Alumni event at the The Marquis Cornwallis, Bloomsbury.

Article category: News
Published on: 12 Dec 24

An introduction to the SFE Technical Committee

The Technical Committee consists of twelve members, including representatives from consultancy, contracting, industry, and academia, providing expertise to address challenges in the façade industry. The committee gathers current pertinent issues, offers seed funding, and facilitates research into relevant topics. It also serves as a point of contact for technical expertise requests, which are addressed through a register of expert members within each relevant field. Sub-committees are responsible for staying informed about developments and research in their areas and keeping members aware and involved.

Article category: News
Published on: 12 Dec 24

Spotlight Academia: Mechanical behavior of rainscreen walls subjected to fire load

Nowadays the construction industry is characterised by high multifunctional and complex buildings with innovative façade systems. Unlike a simple prescriptive approach according to standards and codes, a performance-based design allows to define safety levels and goals, to evaluate heat transfer to the structure and the structure response based on fire behaviour in order to reach the required level of safety. However, many recent fire events demonstrate that the need to improve the technical knowledge and practical procedures in building façade systems design, especially those concerning fire vulnerability, is still very strong. In this context, Davide Vairo’s thesis objective is to investigate the mechanical behaviour of a typical ventilated opaque façade system in case of fire, and to evaluate the influence of temperature on material’s mechanical properties along with the effects of thermal expansions on the stability of the façade itself.

Article category: News
Published on: 12 Dec 24

SFE Hubs: what we have been up to Winter 2024

The SFE Hubs have had a busy end to 2024, providing the global façade engineering community with high quality technical content and a platform to network with individuals from across the supply chain. In 2024, the SFE hosted 23 events in 7 countries amassing over a thousand registrations with hundreds of attendees.

Article category: News
Published on: 26 Sept 24

Spotlight Article – A Case Study in Façade Remediation: Caro Point - Grosvenor Waterside

Our Grosvenor Waterside journey began early in 2021, prior to the implementation of the Building Safety Act (BSA), with the appointment of a professional team following the identification of unsafe cladding material by the building owner. Nearly 3 years later, Caro Point, the building featured in this article, he achieved practical completion in September 2023.

Article category: News
Published on: 26 Sept 24

Strengthening industry standards: SFE and CWCT collaboration

The SFE, in collaboration with CWCT, has provided essential guidance on the application of Regulation 7(2) banning combustible materials, while also contributing to key standards and government-led research projects aimed at improving façade safety. This partnership strengthens industry competence and ensures clarity in fire safety regulations

Article category: News
Published on: 26 Sept 24

Raising standards in Façade Engineering: SFE’s role in the Building Safety Fund and Professional Indemnity Insurance

The Society of Façade Engineering (SFE), has been instrumental in addressing building safety issues by advising on professional indemnity insurance and contributing to the Government's Building Safety Fund. This ensures that SFE members are recognised as qualified professionals in recladding projects for higher-risk buildings.

Article category: News
Published on: 26 Sept 24

Enhancing building safety: The role of competency in higher-risk buildings

The Building Safety Act 2022 introduces significant changes to building control and responsibilities in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster, emphasising the need for competency among project participants. With the establishment of new duty holders and the introduction of the Engineering Council's standards for demonstrating competence, the Society of Façade Engineering is actively working to ensure that façade professionals are equipped to meet these new regulatory demands.

Article category: News
Published on: 26 Sept 24

SFE and Competency Assessments for the Building Safety Act

The Society of Façade Engineering (SFE) is actively contributing to the Joint Competency Initiative (JCI), developing a competency framework and assessments to ensure façade engineers meet the Building Safety Act's requirements. This includes a new competency test and updated standards to demonstrate professional expertise in the façade sector.

Article category: News
Published on: 26 Sept 24

Raising standards in Façade Engineering: A path to Chartership through CIBSE

The Society for Façade Engineering (SFE), has introduced a tailored route for MCIBSE CEng status, ensuring that at least one panel interviewer is a qualified façade engineer. Guidance is also available to help applicants understand the assessment criteria.

Article category: News
Published on: 26 Sept 24

Hubs: What we have been up to

Over the summer the Society has been busy with various activities globally aiming once again to connect professionals and share knowledge across our industry