Postgraduate Course: Current Methods in Fire Safety Engineering (European Masters) (PGEE11069)
Course Outline
| School | School of Engineering | 
College | College of Science and Engineering | 
 
| Course type | Standard | 
Availability | Not available to visiting students | 
 
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) | 
Credits | 12 | 
 
| Home subject area | Postgrad (School of Engineering) | 
Other subject area | None | 
   
| Course website | 
None | 
Taught in Gaelic? | No | 
 
| Course description | This course provides the principles of prescriptive design of structures for fire safety. All different aspects of design are discussed (i.e. flammability, detection & alarm, smoke management, fire suppression, fire resistance, egress, etc.), with particular attention to systems of classification and design applications. Although this module concentrates on &«prescriptive&ª, rather than &«performance-based&ª, calculations, the emphasis is on intelligent application and use of codes and standards, and references will be made to more advanced methods and opportunities to use performance-based approaches in fire safety engineering. It is intended that the course will enable the student to carry out a prescriptive design in a critical manner with due consideration to any limitations, weaknesses or conservatisms which may be present. | 
 
 
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites | 
 | 
Co-requisites |  | 
 
| Prohibited Combinations |  | 
Other requirements |  None | 
 
| Additional Costs |  None. | 
 
 
Course Delivery Information
 |  
| Delivery period: 2012/13  Semester 1, Not available to visiting students (SS1) 
  
 | 
WebCT enabled:  Yes | 
Quota:  None | 
 
	
		| Location | 
		Activity | 
		Description | 
		Weeks | 
		Monday | 
		Tuesday | 
		Wednesday | 
		Thursday | 
		Friday | 
	 
| King's Buildings | Lecture | JCMB 6301 | 1-11 |  11:10 - 13:00 |  |  |  |  |  
| First Class | 
First class information not currently available |  
| Exam Information | 
 
    | Exam Diet | 
    Paper Name | 
    Hours:Minutes | 
    
     | 
     |  
  
| Main Exam Diet S1 (December) | Current Methods in Fire Safety Engineering (European Masters) | 1:30 |  |  |  
 
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes 
- Demonstrate an understanding of the general principles of &«Codes and standards&ª and the requirements and responsibilities in their use. 
- Demonstrate an understanding of the concept of &«Flammability&ª and the associated principles; knowledge of standard methods for establishing flammability of different materials; classification and implications related to storage. 
- Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of &«Fire detection and alarm&ª, including system classifications and requirements, and detector technologies, such as smoke and heat detection, etc. 
- Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of &«Smoke management&ª; Fundamentals aspects of smoke movement in buildings and strategies for smoke control, including active and passive systems; compartmentation requirements and specification of pressurised/depressurised spaces.  
- Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of &«Fire suppression&ª, including water suppression systems, aspects of sprinkler system design; principles and design of gaseous fire suppression systems; principles of dry chemical extinguishing systems.  
- Demonstrate an understanding of current methods used in &«Fire resistance&ª specifications, including fire resistance requirements and testing, compartmentation requirements, and methods for determining fire resistance of structural elements, including steel, concrete and timber. 
- Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of &«Egress&ª, including simple egress calculations, encompassing minimum travel distances, minimum escape route and exit widths; human behaviour aspects, and starting place for more detailed approaches, including egress modelling and risk assessment.  
 
 | 
 
 
Assessment Information 
| The assessment will be made on the basis of: Intermittent Assessment 20% and Degree Examination 80% |  
 
Special Arrangements 
| None |   
 
Additional Information 
| Academic description | 
Not entered | 
 
| Syllabus | 
Lecture 1	Introduction (Codes and standards) (wk1) 
Understand principles of codes and standards 
-	Life Safety Code (NFPA 101) 
-	Building regulations (Approved Document B) 
-	British Standards (BS476-20, BS5268-4, BS EN12101-6, BS ISO 14520; BS5839-1, BS12845; BS5950-8, BS8110-2, BS9999, BS7974-6) 
 
-	LDSA Fire Safety Guide No 1 &«Fire Safety in Section 20 buildings&ª  
-	Structural Eurocodes (EC0-9) 
Codes: all (but specifically: NFPA 101, ADB, LDSA Section 20, EC1) 
 
Lecture 2	Flammability Standards (wk2) 
Understand concept of &«Flammability&ª and associated principles of &«storage&ª, &«hazard classification&ª  
- 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) 
Understand principles of &«Fire Detection and Alarm&ª 
-	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) 
Understand principles of &ªSmoke Management&ª  
-	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 [formerly BS5588-4,5,7], ADB 
 
Lectures 5,6	Fire suppression (wk5,6) 
Understand principles of &«Fire Suppression&ª 
-	Introduction to suppression systems 
-	Design of sprinkler systems 
-	Design of gaseous fire suppression systems 
-	Dry chemical fire suppression 
Code: BS EN 12845:2004 [formerly BS5306, Chapter 6 - hydraulic calculations]; Bryan ch. 7; BS ISO 14520-2:2006; Ewing et al. - Fire Technology &«Flame extinguishment properties of dry chemicals&ª 
 
Lectures 7,8	Fire Resistance (wk7,8) 
Understand current methods to establish &«Fire Resistance&ª  
-	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 (wk9,10) 
Understand the principles of &«Egress&ª 
-	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) 
 
This course has a single tutorial encompassing one or more of the above topics.  The submission deadline is the end of week 6. 
 | 
 
| Transferable skills | 
Not entered | 
 
| Reading list | 
None beyond provided materials. | 
 
| Study Abroad | 
Not entered | 
 
| Study Pattern | 
Not entered | 
 
| Keywords | Fire Safety Engineering | 
 
 
Contacts 
| Course organiser | Dr Stephen Welch 
Tel: (0131 6)50 5734 
Email:  | 
Course secretary | Mrs Laura Smith 
Tel: (0131 6)50 5690 
Email:  | 
   
 
 |    
 
© Copyright 2012 The University of Edinburgh -  6 March 2012 6:23 am 
 |