Postgraduate Course: Fire Safety Engineering (IMFSE) (PGEE10024)
Course Outline
| School | School of Engineering |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 12 |
ECTS Credits | 6 |
| Summary | This course introduces the student to the principles of design for the fire safety engineering of various infrastructures, mainly buildings. A variety of different aspects of design are discussed (including: flammability, detection & alarm, smoke management, fire suppression, fire resistance, egress, etc.), with particular attention to systems of classification and design applications. The course distinguishes between 'prescriptive' and 'performance-based' approaches to design, with an emphasis is on the appropriate application and use of codes and standards; references will be made to more advanced methods and opportunities to use engineering analysis approaches in fire safety engineering though training on use of advanced models is outside the scope. It is intended that the course will enable the student to carry out a simple fire safety engineering design in a critical manner with due consideration to any limitations, uncertainties or conservatisms which may be present. |
| Course description |
Lecture 1 Introduction (Codes and standards) (wk1)
Principles of codes and standards, lessons from failures, prescriptive and performance-based design methodologies
- Life Safety Code (NFPA 101)
- Building regulations (Approved Document B)
- British Standards (BS476-20, BS9999, BS7974)
- Structural Eurocodes (EC0-9)
Codes: all
Lecture 2 Flammability Standards (wk2)
Concept of 'Flammability' and associated principles of storage, hazard classification
- Standard methods for establishing flammability of different materials.
- Classification and implications related to storage.
- Combustible and flammable liquids
Codes: NFPA 101, NFPA 30, ASTM D56-87, SFPE Handbook Ignition chapter
Lecture 3 Fire Detection and Alarm (wk3)
Principles of 'Fire Detection and Alarm'
- System categories, life and property protection
- Alarm and detection zones
- Alarm systems and response
- Detector technologies:
- Heat detectors
- Smoke detection: ionisation, photoelectric and other technologies.
- Other detection technologies, including multi-sensor
Code: BS5839-1
Lecture 4 Smoke Management (wk4)
Principles of 'Smoke Management'
- Fundamentals aspects of smoke movement in buildings
- Strategies for smoke control
- Active and passive systems; compartmentation requirements and specification of pressurised/depressurised spaces
Codes: BS EN12101-6, ADB
Lectures 5,6 Fire suppression (wks5,6)
Principles of 'Fire Suppression'
- Introduction to suppression systems
- Design of sprinkler systems
- Design of gaseous fire suppression systems
- Dry chemical fire suppression
Code: BS EN 12845:2004; Bryan ch. 7; BS ISO 15004-1/6:2008; Ewing et al. - Fire Technology 'Flame extinguishment properties of dry chemicals'
Lectures 7,8 Fire Resistance (wks7,8)
Understand current methods to establish 'Fire Resistance'
- Fire resistance requirements
- Compartmentation
- Methods for determining fire resistance of structural elements
- Steel, concrete, timber, etc.
Codes: BS476-20, BS9999, BS5950-8, BS8110-2, BS5268-4
Lecture 9,10 Egress (wks9,10)
Understand the principles of 'Egress'
- Prescriptive calculations for egress: minimum distances, minimum widths, stairways, disabled access and special facilities (the elderly, prisons, etc.).
- Means of escape
- Travel distances
- Escape routes and exit widths
- Human behaviour aspects
- ASET & RSET
- Risk profiles
- Egress models
Code: ADB, BS9999, BS7974:6
Lectures 11 Revision (wk11)
There is a single tutorial encompassing one or more of the above topics. The submission deadline is the end of week 6 (16:00hrs on Friday).
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None. |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2015/16, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
120
(
Lecture Hours 22,
Formative Assessment Hours 1,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
93 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
80 %,
Coursework
20 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
The assessment will be made on the basis of: Intermittent Assessment 20% and Degree Examination 80%. |
| Feedback |
Formative feedback on practice tutorial
Mid-semester "Start, Stop, Continue"
Exam post-mortem |
| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
|
| Main Exam Diet S1 (December) | | 2:00 | |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Appreciate the role and importance of fire safety engineering in the design of modern infrastructures;
- Describe the range of approaches adopted, with an awareness of distinctions and limitations;
- Justify fire design specifications with reference to appropriate codes and standards, with appropriate consideration of information that may be incomplete or uncertain;
- Demonstrate awareness of potentially conflicting demands, i.e. commercial, safety, environmental, ethical, etc.
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Reading List
| None beyond provided materials. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
CHARACTERISTIC 3: GENERIC COGNITIVE SKILLS
* Critically identify, define, conceptualise and analyse complex/professional problems and issues.
* Offer professional insights, interpretations and solutions to problems and issues.
* Make judgements where data/information is limited or comes from a range of sources.
CHARACTERISTIC 5: AUTONOMY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND WORKING WITH OTHERS
* Exercise autonomy and initiative in professional/equivalent activities.
* Manage complex ethical and professional issues in accordance with current professional and/or ethical codes or practices.
* Recognise the limits of these codes and seek guidance where appropriate.
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| Keywords | Fire Safety Engineering |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Stephen Welch
Tel: (0131 6)50 5734
Email: |
Course secretary | Mr Craig Hovell
Tel: (0131 6)51 7080
Email: |
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