Overview:   

Developed from an interest in the thermo-mechanical response of structures exposed to fire, Devotec has established itself as the principle Fire and Forensic Engineering consultants in Southern Africa.   

The last decade has been a period of remarkable change in the science and practice of fire protection engineering - marking the beginning of the translation from the prescriptive to the performance-based design approach.  The recent surge in the body of knowledge creates and defines the technical tools with which fire engineers work to solve a problem.  To this end, fire engineering may be defined as the application of scientific and engineering principles, rules, codes and expert judgement based on an understanding of the phenomena and the effects of fire and the action and behaviour of people exposed to fire with the purpose to protect people, property and the environment from the destructive effects of fire.   

In addition to the fire engineering design, the integration of the facility management of a building with the fire safety design of such calls for a comprehensive risk management portfolio based upon effective loss control criteria.   

Devotec is a member of the renowned international Society of Fire Protection Engineers, based in Massachusetts, U.S.A.