Passionate about the subject

– Fire is fundamentally a social problem, not a technical one, which is why people are always central even if we work with building design and technical solutions. We must take into account both predictable and unpredictable factors. One way to gain control over these unpredictable factors is to base decisions on analyses, Vegard says.
Multiconsult therefore places great emphasis on analysis and simulation expertise.
– One of the most motivating things I know is working with newly graduated colleagues who come straight from school with fresh knowledge and commitment. It is incredibly fun to see how committed and skilled they are. Several of my colleagues who have only worked with us for a few years are central to the development of digital tools and simulation, he says.

The fear of fire
Vegard grew up in Storsteinnes in Balsfjord municipality in Troms, where his father was a volunteer firefighter in addition to his teaching job.
– While I was in elementary school, we had a small fire in the house where I lived. Fortunately, it turned out well, but it still made an impression. I think everyone has a relationship with fire, whether they have experienced it themselves or know someone who has been affected, he says.
While in middle school, Vegard decided that he wanted to focus on science.
After the military and a year of science studies at UiT The Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø, he moved to Trondheim and began studying civil engineering at the Building and Environmental Engineering Department at NTNU.
– It was only when we had to choose a special subject in the third year that I set my sights on fire consulting. I liked the idea of ​​both being involved in and influencing the expression of a building, working interdisciplinary and being involved in several projects at the same time, he says.

Creative solutions
Fire consultants are often involved in construction projects from the planning phase until long after the building has been put into use.
– We are happy to be discussion partners both when it comes to technical installations and the use of the building. Even though we don't have that many hours in each individual project, we gain a lot of insight into the life cycle of the building, which is quite unique for this profession, says Vegard.
When it comes to designing new buildings, the primary function of fire consultants is to ensure that the technical regulations of the Planning and Building Act (TEK) are met. If a building is designed in accordance with pre-accepted performance, this is often called simplified design.
- Pre-accepted performance is adapted to standardized buildings, but there will always be some quirks in new buildings that do not quite fit into the TEK guidelines. Then the fire consultants have to do analyses and look at alternative designs. Then it's important to be a little creative, but at the same time responsive. In connection with the analyses, we carry out risk analyses and use various programs for calculations, escapes and fire simulations, he says.
The scope of the job varies depending on how complex the problem is.
- Sometimes simple risk assessments can be sufficient, while other problems require extensive calculations, he says.
Sustainable solutions are receiving increasing attention in many projects.
– Wood is a very sustainable material, but wooden structures or wood fiber insulation are inherently inferior in terms of fire resistance. That is why we conduct analyses to find alternative ways to secure these structures, so that both the sustainable and fire-technical aspects are taken into account, says Vegard.

Happy by the fire
Performance-based versus function-based requirements are a recurring topic of discussion in the construction industry.
– If projects are to become more sustainable, for example by increasing the degree of reuse, we depend on regulations that allow for analyses to document fire safety. I believe that returning to more performance-based requirements slows down sustainable development in projects, states Vegard.
– Sometimes I feel that development is going in the wrong direction – some authorities’ somewhat one-sided focus on pre-accepted performances being the only right thing makes our job more cumbersome and limits development in sustainability. You don’t achieve innovation by standardizing everything, he points out.
He suspects that fire consultants may have a bad reputation among some authorities.
– There are always some who take shortcuts or do not carry out fire technical analyses, and that myth may have become a truth for some. It is a disadvantage that such a label has been attached to our profession, because at Multiconsult we are serious and want to contribute to projects and social development for better safety, he emphasizes.
Among other things, Multiconsult is a partner in the research center FRIC (Fire Research and Innovation Center), where Vegard is a board member.
– Through the fire research projects in FRIC, we help to focus on sustainable solutions and fire safety, and fire prevention for vulnerable groups, he says.
Vegard is also an examiner at NTNU, where he also lectures on fire advice and holds courses in escape analysis.
– I have also participated in research projects on the use of fire safety using wood fiber insulation in exterior walls and solar cells, he says.
In his free time, Vegard and his wife enjoy spending time outdoors.
– Ironically, I really enjoy lighting a campfire, but I am careful to comply with the campfire ban between April and September, he says.