Undergraduate Course: Quantitative Methods in Fire Safety Engineering 5 (CIVE11022)
Course Outline
| School | School of Engineering |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Year 5 Undergraduate) |
Credits | 10 |
| Home subject area | Civil |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
None |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | This module provides the principles of performance-based design of structures for fire safety. It focuses on the use of analytical and numerical tools in the estimation of performance of fire safety systems. Fire investigation and reconstruction (i.e. Forensics) is introduced. Advanced systems are introduced to establish modern approaches to fire safety engineering. A significant portion of this module is dedicated to industrial fire safety. This section will be introduced on the basis of different industrial accidents and the application of fire safety principles to their analysis, to the lessons learned and to alternative design approaches. This module will present the different analytical, empirical models and numerical models used for quantitative performance assessment of fire safety systems. Emphasis is given to the use of numerical tools. A series of laboratories will introduce the student to modern numerical tools and to their application in the design of fire safety systems. This course will familiarize the student with the use of different quantitative methodologies for fire safety calculations. Thus, after this course the student should be able to use computer based fire models, evaluate results from these tools and assess uncertainty related to the output from these tools. The student after this module should be able to apply the tools learned in previous modules towards performance-based design, quantitative risk assessment, equivalence analysis and fire reconstruction. |
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
Students MUST have passed:
Fire Science and Fire Dynamics 4 (CIVE10011)
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
Understanding of the concept of Performance Calculations
- The establishment of project requirements and the concept of equivalent safety.
- Principles of risk analysis.
Familiarity with material selection procedures and fuel load control
- The concept of the design fire
- The use of flammability calculations for the prediction of fire growth
- Separation distances and required heat transfer calculations.
Be able to prediction of the performance of fire detection systems
- Smoke plume and ceiling jet calculations
- Obscuration and smoke detector performance
- Sprinkler activation (RTI) and performance of water suppression systems.
- Alternative detection and suppression technologies, evaluation of relative performance.
Understand advanced mechanisms for smoke management
- Calculations for smoke control: reservoirs, entrainment, flow through fans, pressure calculations.
Understanding of the requirements for the Reporting of Engineering Calculations
- Minimum requirements for reporting, justification and user manuals.
Be able to apply the above Concepts to cases in Industrial Fire Safety
- Examples of different industrial accidents analysed withy performance calculation tools
Be able to apply the above concepts to Fire Investigation and Fire Reconstruction (Forensics)
- The use of fire dynamic calculations to support fire investigation. Reconstruction of the timeline.
- Case studies. |
Assessment Information
| The assessment will be made on the basis of: Intermittent Assessment 50% (tutorials) and Degree Examination (50%) |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Lecture 1-2: Understanding of the concept of performance calculations
The establishment of project requirements and the concept of equivalent safety
Principles of risk analysis
Lectures 3-4: Evacuation calculations
Basic principles of evacuation
Simple hand calculations
Numerical egress calculations
Lectures 5-7: Fire growth calculations
Ignition, flame spread and smoke production
The process of ignition
Flame spread theory
Plume theory
Familiarity with material selection procedures and fuel load control
The concept of the design fire
The use of flammability calculations for the prediction of fire growth
Separation distances and required heat transfer calculations.
Lectures 8-12: Smoke management
Smoke control
Reservoirs, entrainment, flow through vents and fans, simple calculations
Analytical calculations
Principles of CFD
Physical and numerical models
Applications (lab based)
Comparison of analytical and CFD techniques
Lecture 13-14: Heat transfer calculations for structural elements
Analytical methods for unprotected steel
Analytical methods for protected steel
Analytical methods for concrete
Lectures 15-16: Prediction of the performance of fire detection & suppression systems
Smoke plume and ceiling jet calculations
Obscuration and smoke detector performance
Sprinkler activation (RTI) and performance of water suppression systems.
Alternative detection and suppression technologies, evaluation of relative performance
Lecture 17: Requirements for the reporting of engineering calculations
Minimum requirements for reporting, justification and user manuals
Overview and consolidation.
Lecture 18: Review
Tutorials: Titles & Contents
Tutorial 1: Evacuation (10%)
Tutorial 2: Fire Growth (10%)
Tutorial 3: Structural Heat transfer + Suppression & Detection (10%)
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| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
An Introduction to Fire Dynamics by Dougal Drysdale, 3rd edition, Wiley 2011
SFPE handbook of Fire Protection Engineering, SFPE, 3rd edition, 2002.
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| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Richard Carvel
Tel:
Email: |
Course secretary | Ms Louise Harkins
Tel: (0131 6)51 7185
Email: |
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