In a performance-based design what criteria must the designer meet to provide life safety and fire protection for a project?

Performance-based design (PBD) is an engineering methodology that moves away from strict prescriptive rules and instead focuses on achieving specific, agreed-upon outcomes. The foundation of any PBD project is the establishment of clear goals and objectives. Goals are broad statements of intent (e.g., provide life safety for occupants), while objectives are specific, measurable criteria that must be met to achieve the goals (e.g., maintain tenable conditions for the time required to evacuate). The entire design and subsequent analysis are structured to demonstrate that these predefined goals and objectives are satisfied for all credible fire scenarios.

A. A financial outcome: While cost is a project consideration, it is not the technical criterion for ensuring life safety in a performance-based design.

C. A prescriptive code requirement: Performance-based design is an explicit alternative to following prescriptive codes; it does not seek to meet them.

D. Stakeholder input: Stakeholder input is crucial for developing the goals and objectives, but the input itself is not the final design criterion.

1. NFPA 101®, Life Safety Code®, 2021 Edition. Chapter 5, "Performance-Based Option." Section 5.3.1 states, "A performance-based design shall meet the goals and objectives of this Code." Section 5.4 further details the required goals and objectives that form the basis of the design evaluation.

2. SFPE, Engineering Guide to Performance-Based Fire Protection, 2nd Edition. Chapter 2, "The Performance-Based Design Process." Section 2.3, "Define Project Scope, Goals, Objectives, and Performance Criteria," establishes that defining these elements is the first and most critical step in the PBD process.

3. NFPA 5000®, Building Construction and Safety Code®, 2021 Edition. Chapter 5, "Performance-Based Option." Section 5.3.1, "Goals and Objectives," mandates that any performance-based design must be demonstrated to meet the specified goals and objectives.