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In recent decades, the frequency and severity of building fires have increased with rapid urbanization, particularly in high-rise buildings and high-building-density areas. Although proactive building fire risk management (PBFRM) can address this issue, significant research gaps exist. This research aims to propose a conceptual framework for understanding the existing condition of integrating proactive building fire risk management in the building construction sector, and the effect on improving building fire safety. It has been performed through a comprehensive review of the relevant literature. This framework identifies five components by answering the following questions: what? (building fire safety), of what? (buildings), to what? (integrate PBFRM in the building construction sector), for what? (ensuring resilience, sustainability and smartness), and how? (through building construction sector governance). According to the proposed conceptual framework, building fire safety can be achieved by integrating the PBFRM measures in different building attributes throughout the building life cycle. At the same time, resilience, sustainability and smartness must be ensured. These can be achieved through governance in the building construction sector. The proposed conceptual framework will contribute to policy and practice by facilitating policymakers and stakeholders in assessing the existing conditions and the efficacy of building fire safety measures, and thereby in devising strategies to further reinforce them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Walking speed is a significant aspect of evacuation efficiency, and this speed varies during fire emergencies due to individual physical abilities. However, in evacuations, it is not always possible to keep an upright posture, hence atypical postures, such as stoop walking or crawling, may be required for survival. In this study, a novel 3D passive vision-aided inertial system (3D PVINS) for indoor positioning was used to track the movement of 20 volunteers during an evacuation in a low visibility environment. Participants' walking speeds using trunk flexion, trunk–knee flexion, and upright postures were measured. The investigations were carried out under emergency and non-emergency scenarios in vertical and horizontal directions, respectively. Results show that different moving directions led to a roughly 43.90% speed reduction, while posture accounted for over 17%. Gender, one of the key categories in evacuation models, accounted for less than 10% of the differences in speed. The speeds of participants under emergency scenarios when compared to non-emergency scenarios was also found to increase by 53.92–60% when moving in the horizontal direction, and by about 48.28–50% when moving in the vertical direction and descending downstairs. Our results also support the social force theory of the warming-up period, as well as the effect of panic on the facilitating occupants' moving speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, the frequency and severity of building fires have increased with rapid urbanization, particularly in high-rise buildings and high-building-density areas. Although proactive building fire risk management (PBFRM) can address this issue, significant research gaps exist. This research aims to propose a conceptual framework for understanding the existing condition of integrating proactive building fire risk management in the building construction sector, and the effect on improving building fire safety. It has been performed through a comprehensive review of the relevant literature. This framework identifies five components by answering the following questions: what? (building fire safety), of what? (buildings), to what? (integrate PBFRM in the building construction sector), for what? (ensuring resilience, sustainability and smartness), and how? (through building construction sector governance). According to the proposed conceptual framework, building fire safety can be achieved by integrating the PBFRM measures in different building attributes throughout the building life cycle. At the same time, resilience, sustainability and smartness must be ensured. These can be achieved through governance in the building construction sector. The proposed conceptual framework will contribute to policy and practice by facilitating policymakers and stakeholders in assessing the existing conditions and the efficacy of building fire safety measures, and thereby in devising strategies to further reinforce them.

Aim: Despite the existence of established fire codes, the frequency of building fires in Sri Lanka has been on the rise in recent years. The primary objective of building codes is to ensure minimum acceptable fire safety standards in buildings, but deviations from the code can increase fire risk factors and exacerbate the severity of fires. This study aims to identify and rank such risk factors in three stages, beginning with design and concluding with maintenance. Introduction: Metodologia tego badania obejmuje podejście jakościowe, które uwzględnia przegląd literatury, ankietę opartą na kwestionariuszu oraz częściowo ustrukturyzowane wywiady ze specjalistami z branży pożarniczej. Kwestionariusz został opracowany w kontekście Sri Lanki. Wykwalifikowany i doświadczony zespół specjalistów ds. pożarnictwa został poproszony o uszeregowanie przygotowanego kwestionariusza, który został podsumowany w dwunastu kategoriach ryzyka. Chociaż metod oceny ryzyka pożarowego jest niewiele, w niniejszym badaniu zastosowano metodę wskaźnika względnej istotności. Wyniki uzyskane z pięciostopniowej skali Likerta, gdzie „1” to najmniejszy poziom ryzyka, a „5” to najwyższy poziom ryzyka, zostały przekonwertowane w celu identyfikacji priorytetów z RII. Project and methods: The methodology of this research consists of a qualitative approach, which includes a literature review, a questionnaire-based survey, and semi-structured interviews with fire industry professionals. The questionnaire was developed in a Sri Lankan context following an extensive literature review that included the author's experience. The qualified and experienced panel of fire specialists was asked to rank the prepared questionnaire, which was summarized into twelve risk categories. Though there are few fire risk ranking methods, the relative importance index method was applied in this research as it is simple and easy to use for ranking the risk factors. The results obtained from the five-point Likert scale, where “1” is the least risk level and “5” is the highest risk level, were converted to identify priorities with RII. Results: In the Sri Lankan context, it was discovered that issues with design and the approval of inaccurate building plans are the first and second major isk factors, respectively, out of the twelve categories identified. Thus, it was evident that deviations made at the design stage are the most significant risk factors, according to the Sri Lankan setting. Most of the mistakes that are made at the design stage cannot be rectified at a later stage under normal conditions, as it could incur huge costs to change the building structures. Conclusions: The study summarizes twelve factors that contribute to fire-related incidents in Sri Lankan buildings. Among these factors, the survey data shows that incorrect building design and the approval of inaccurate building plans for construction are the primary contributors to the high frequency and severity of fire-related incidents. Despite the availability of comprehensive fire safety regulations in Sri Lanka, the research reveals a significant gap in their implementation, from design to maintenance. These findings stress the importance of incorporating fire and safety management criteria into the building design stage, covering both construction and subsequent maintenance, to prevent fire incidents in Sri Lanka. Keywords: prescriptive fire codes, fire risk factors, fire risk assessment, fire risk ranking, building fire safety

This Data Article presents simulation data and methodology on fire in the cavity of naturally ventilated Double Skin Façade (DSF) with Venetian blinds. The simulation data includes glazing surface temperature data and the Input and Output Source Code files. The data for the validation of the model is also presented along with its methodology, input source code file and output temperature results. The comprehensive methodology used to obtain this data from the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) and PyroSim are presented. The data presented can provide theoretical benchmarks for architects, engineers, researchers, and designers when incorporating Venetian blinds in DSFs. It can also help fire fighters and engineers to theoretically assess the spread of fire in buildings with DSFs incorporating Venetian blinds.

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In recent years, fires in tall buildings have become more frequent, which costs billions of dollars each year and the loss of many human lives. The façade fire in the Grenfell tower made the structure uninhabitable, and the collapse of the three World Trade Center (WTC) towers is the total structural failure caused by fire. Despite such events, no well-defined methodology exists to reconstruct both fire and structural behaviors and carrys out the forensic investigation of a building fire. This Part I paper collects the evidence of the Plasco Building fire and generates a coherent timeline to reconstruct the fire processes. The vertical and horizontal fire spread of the building is reconstructed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) fire modeling and calibrated against the evidence library. The spatio-temporal temperature history from the fire modeling provides realistic fire scenarios to simulate the structural response. The fire simulation results are used as boundary conditions to be transferred to a finite element analysis tool for a detailed structural analysis to determine the likely collapse mechanism of the Plasco Building in Part II. The methodology presented in this paper to reconstruct the fire can also guide the structural fire safety engineers to improve the building fire-safety and life-safety strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fire is defined as an extremely hazardous event, causing a threat to life and health of persons, but also damage to the economic sphere. It has been shown many times that fire can occur anywhere and at any time. In order to minimize the risk of fire manifestations, it is necessary to understand its course. In technical practice, computational models are used to determine the partial manifestations of fire, such as fire spread rate, smoke generation rate in the burning area, formation of toxic burning products, flame height, and others. One of the important characteristics is also the energy balance in the burning area relating to the character of burning material, access of oxygen necessary for exothermic reaction of burning, and reaction of the installed safety devices. In this paper we will point out the fire safety of the building. The FDS (Fire Dynamics Simulator) model is recently used in practice, and its advantage is the possibility to model fire even in large and atypical spaces. The contribution of this paper is the practical application of fire safety of construction using the FDS Model, to reduce the cost of fire safety for the structure being constructed. Attention was paid to evaluating how the heat energy that is released during a fire can be influenced by the installed stable fire-extinguishing equipment, taking into consideration the fire resistance of the building structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In modelling human behavior during a fire, one has to deal with uncertainties regarding the psychological response due to limited or incomplete knowledge database. The purpose of this paper is to develop a new fuzzy Bayesian Network framework to model causal relationship of psychological response at the initial stage of fire events. Firstly, a new conceptual model namely the PRiF (Psychological Response in a Fire) is developed through the literature of human behaviour in fire evacuation modelling and expert opinion approach. Then, the expert elicitation using fuzzy linguistic concept was adapted in quantifying the PRiF model. Finally, an example of expert elicitation study is demonstrated to illustrate the practical application of the proposed methodology. Results show that the proposed methodology is not only able to capture the sequence of psychological reactions in line with the theory of human behavior in a fire but also can quantitatively measure the likelihood of circumstances of possible undesired scenario, and identify the most influential factors or prioritize the root causes of unsuccessful safe evacuation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fire is defined as an extremely hazardous event, causing a threat to life and health of persons, but also damage to the economic sphere. It has been shown many times that fire can occur anywhere and at any time. In order to minimize the risk of fire manifestations, it is necessary to understand its course. In technical practice, computational models are used to determine the partial manifestations of fire, such as fire spread rate, smoke generation rate in the burning area, formation of toxic burning products, flame height, and others. One of the important characteristics is also the energy balance in the burning area relating to the character of burning material, access of oxygen necessary for exothermic reaction of burning, and reaction of the installed safety devices. In this paper we will point out the fire safety of the building. The FDS (Fire Dynamics Simulator) model is recently used in practice, and its advantage is the possibility to model fire even in large and atypical spaces. The contribution of this paper is the practical application of fire safety of construction using the FDS Model, to reduce the cost of fire safety for the structure being constructed. Attention was paid to evaluating how the heat energy that is released during a fire can be influenced by the installed stable fire-extinguishing equipment, taking into consideration the fire resistance of the building structures.

Ammonium nitrate (AN) is a detonable substance which has led to numerous disasters throughout the 20th century and until the present day, with the latest disaster occurring on 17 April 2013. Needed safety lesson have not been learned, since typically each accident was viewed as a great surprise and investigations focused on finding some unique reason for the accident, rather than examining what is common among the accidents. A review is made of accidents which involved AN for fertilizer purposes, and excluding incidents involving ANFO or additional explosives apart from AN. It is found that, for explosions in storage or transportation, 100% of these disasters had a single causative factor—an uncontrollable fire. Thus, such disasters can be eliminated by eliminating the potential for uncontrolled fire. Two actions are required to achieve this: (1) adoption of fertilizer formulations which reduce the potential for uncontrolled fire and for detonation; and (2) adoption of building safety measures which provide assurance against uncontrolled fires. Technical means are available for achieving both these required measures. These measures have been known for a long time and the only reason that disasters continue to occur is that these safety measures are not implemented. The problem can be solved unilaterally by product manufacturers or by government authorities, but preferably both should take necessary steps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaluation of building performance during fires is a critical step in designing appropriate strategies. Inappropriate or incomplete performance evaluations can mislead fire safety design solutions, which may in turn result in unacceptable loss of life or building damage from fire. While various building fire safety performance evaluation models have been developed, they focus primarily on 'hard' characteristics, such as building construction type and fire protection measures. However, 'soft' characteristics, such as building design (architectural) features and occupant characteristics, which also significantly influence building fire safety performance, have not been comprehensively taken into account. In the current study, two conceptual performance models: a generic fire response model and an integrated characteristic interaction model, have been developed to represent the holistic building fire safety performance considering the effects of both hard and soft characteristics. In these models, various cause-effect relationships among building, people, and fire characteristics are identified at the different levels of detail. Based on the conceptual models, a quantitative model utilizing the parameter ranking method and weighted sum method, which are commonly used in analytical hierarchy process, is proposed as a tool to help evaluate building fire safety performance and to assist decision making process of developing fire safety design solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper represents a timely communication that critically evaluates an example of previously inaccessible and aged grey literature that can now be found in the National Research Council of Canada's open access online repository. This grey literature, in the form of a series of reports detailing two large scale compartment fire tests from 1958, is critically evaluated. While potential credence to the contemporary research theme of travelling fires framework and methodology is given herein, this evaluation supports further and continued investigation into large compartment fire behaviour to help progress the development and the improvement of fire methodologies for the design of buildings. A case is made that aged grey literature, particularly when previously inaccessible, merits second consideration as information can be of contemporary use for fire science researchers and practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents assumptions, structure and functional characteristics of so called Interactive Modular Platform for Fire Risk Assessment of Buildings, enabling processing of data with the use of information systems. The platform includes algorithms, mechanisms and procedures for evaluation of fire hazard in the buildings and other infrastructures, based on the principles of technical knowledge. The platform, which will be available for the users (designers, experts in fire safety, firemen etc.) in the Internet, will be accompanied by a handbook of basic knowledge in the scope of design of fire safe buildings, including guidelines for tools of fire safety engineering. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Advancements in computer technology and tendency to replace prescriptive fire and building codes with performance-based codes have promoted the development of computer fire models to simulate fire and smoke movement. In this research a two-zone model CUsmoke (Carleton University smoke model) is used to simulate fires with steady or linear growth heat release rates (HRRs) in a single-compartment and in a two-compartment building, as well as fires with non-linear HRR in a multi-compartment multi-storey building. The comparisons between the CUsmoke predictions and the experimental data showed that the model is capable of predicting smoke movement in single and multi-compartment, multi-storey buildings with a corridor and a stair shaft. The model also provides good predictions of the upper layer temperature for non-flashover fires with steady HRR in a single compartment. Additionally, the CUsmoke predictions of concentration of O2 and CO2 in the growth phase of fires and the predicted interface heights in the fire compartment compared well with the experimental measurements. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The paper discusses how to design and implement the remote fire monitoring system based on the widely used dispersed fire monitoring method. The study analyses the division of system functions, which have been utilized to build monitoring centres, public security and fire departments and buildings in need of fire-monitoring system. It also establishes a basic structure of a remote frre monitoring system and focuses on describing the intemetworking technology of the equipment in remote fire monitoring system. The network connection schemes for frre controller and video monitoring system are provided as well. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Close inspection of accidental fires in large, open-plan compartments reveals that they do not burn simultaneously throughout the whole enclosure. Instead, these fires tend to move across floor plates as flames spread, burning over a limited area at any one time. These fires have been labelled travelling fires. Current structural fire design methods do not account for these types of fires. Despite these observations, fire scenarios most commonly used for the structural design of modern buildings are based on traditional methods that assume uniform burning and homogenous temperature conditions throughout a compartment, regardless of its size. This paper is Part II of a two part article and gives details of a new design methodology using travelling fires to produce more realistic fire scenarios in large, open-plan compartments than the conventional methods that assume uniform burning. The methodology considers a range of possible fire sizes and is aimed at producing results consistent with the requirements of structural fire analysis. The methodology is applied to a case study of a generic concrete frame by means of heat transfer calculations to infer structural performance. It is found that fires that are around 10% of the floor area are the most onerous for the structure, producing rebar temperatures equivalent to those reached from exposure to 106min of the standard fire and approximately 200°C hotter than that calculated using the Eurocode 1 parametric temperature–time curve. A detailed sensitivity analysis is presented, concluding that the most sensitive input parameters are related to the building design and its use and not the physical assumptions or numerical implementation of the method. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Close inspection of accidental fires in large, open-plan compartments reveals that they do not burn simultaneously throughout the whole enclosure. Instead, these fires tend to move across floor plates as flames spread, burning over a limited area at any one time. These fires have been labelled travelling fires. Current structural fire design methods do not account for these types of fires. Despite these observations, fire scenarios most commonly used for the structural design of modern buildings are based on traditional methods that assume uniform burning and homogenous temperature conditions throughout a compartment, regardless of its size. This paper is Part I of a two part article and is a literature review of the research on the new topic of travelling fires. A brief background to the traditional methods that assume uniform fires is given along with critiques of that assumption, such as the observation of heterogeneity among compartment temperatures and the travelling nature of fires in both accidental events and controlled tests. The research in travelling fires is reviewed, highlighting the pioneering work in the field to date, and compared to the state of the art. The main challenge in developing tools for incorporating travelling fires into design is the lack of large scale test data. Nonetheless, significant progress in the field has been made and two methodologies using travelling fires to characterise the thermal environment for structural analysis have recently been developed. The research in quantifying the structural response to travelling fires is also reviewed, demonstrating the benefit of collaboration between fire engineers and structural fire engineers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The most crucial aspect of a building''s safety in the face of fire is the possibility of safe escape. An important precondition is that its fire safety facilities enable independent and adequate fire response performances by the building''s occupants. In practice, it appears that the measures currently required by law do not always provide the support that people in burning buildings need. Consequently, understanding how individuals behave in the case of fire and fire evacuation is essential if we are to bring fire safety measures into line with occupants’ needs during an incident. This paper contains a review of the available literature on human behaviour in a fire so far as building safety is concerned. The findings are presented as an overview of the critical factors which determine occupants’ fire response performances, namely the characteristics of fire, human beings and buildings. The study highlights that some of the assumptions about the existing paradigm of fire safety in buildings are not consistent with the knowledge set out in the literature. The key observation is that psychonomics appear to have significant influence on occupants’ fire response performances. Accordingly, the traditional approach to fire safety will have to be supplemented by scientific knowledge from this field. Hence, there is a need for a new approach to fire safety design in buildings, which is set out herein. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]