A systematic visualisation system that can image the visible flame, invisible hot gas and the wood surface temperature, was applied to study self-sustained fire propagation in a wood rod at different inclination angles. It was found that the burned wood rods at positive inclination angles presented longer burning lifetimes and charring lengths than those at negative and horizontal angles. Three physical

Numerous experiments have been conducted to investigate the mechanical properties of structural steels at elevated temperatures, including mild steel and high strength steel (HSS). However, material models in the current mainstream fire design standards are mainly based on results of mild steel, and hence their applicability to HSS is questionable. In this paper, test data in literatures on mechanical

Fire interactions between multiple 1 m tall, 0.7 m diameter chamise shrubs was studied utilizing the Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Dynamics Simulator (WFDS, Mell et al. 2009). Two shrub arrangements were investigated. First, nine shrubs were placed in a 3×3 horizontal region. The shrub separation distance and wind speed were varied. Two competing interaction mechanisms were identified: heat feedback

Light gauge steel frame (LSF) floor-ceiling systems are increasingly used in buildings without a full understanding of their thermal and fire resistance performance. Hence a numerical study was undertaken on the thermal performance of LSF floor-ceiling systems with varying configurations under standard fire conditions. The configurations included Lipped Channel and rivet fastened Rectangular Hollow

This study reports an experimental exploration of the combustion inhibition efficiency of iron short-chain perfluorocarboxylates, namely, iron trifluoroacetate (FeTFA) and iron pentafluoropropionate (FePFP). The aim is to develop a new phosphor-free fire-extinguishing agent. The synthesized FeTFA and FePFP were characterized by ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy

This paper evaluates the fuel moisture content (FMC) threshold that leads to fire extinction for a few fuel types under marginal conditions. Influences of fuel load, fuel depth, Leaf Area Index (LAI) and packing ratio on this FMC threshold were also analyzed. This aim was reached by applying numerical simulations performed with three approaches: a simplified physical fire spread model, a detailed fire

The effects of air intake position on the burning behaviour of liquid pool inside a mechanically ventilated compartment are analyzed by using both an experiment and a physics-based model. A series of compartment fire experiments has been undertaken from a reduced scale enclosure with a length/height and width of 2 m. An external ventilation system consists of an air admission duct placed in low or

The paper presents a theoretical study on the ceiling jets induced by small fires in tunnels. The ceiling jet thickness, temperature rise and velocity are analyzed theoretically with Non-Boussinesq approximation. The study focuses on the radial and one-dimensional ceiling jets. Numerical solutions in radial region and one-dimensional shooting region are obtained and new analytical solutions in the

In recent years several studies analysed the influence of recycled aggregates obtained from concrete debris (Recycled Concrete Aggregates, RCAs) on the durability performance of structural concrete produced with them (Recycled Aggregate Concretes, RACs) and, within this, also the influence of high temperatures has been investigated. In most cases, the concrete strength has not been considered as a

This paper presents the results of tests to investigate fire performance of two-way restrained precast concrete (PC) composite slabs under the standard ISO 834 condition. The fire tests include three specimens with different load levels and boundary conditions – with or without restraints around the edges. Tensile membrane action was observed to a moderate extent in all specimens tested, including

The data generated in buildings are used for all types of purposes. The quality of information used in assisting people to escape an emergency situation is of importance. In practice today, none of the data-generating systems that aid in the escape from emergency situations is validated on a regular basis. This study is based on the smart building concept. The rationale behind this concept is to provide

Video-based smoke detection is a challenging task due to the large variance of smoke color, brightness and shape. Handcrafting discriminative features for smoke detection is a complicated and expensive task, which cannot represent smoke characteristics accurately. There are some smoke detection methods based on Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), but most of them are computationally expensive and

Leader-and-follower behaviour is one of the most important behaviours during evacuation, as determining the effect of leader-and-follower behaviour in social networks on crowd evacuation during emergency situations is important for enhancing safety. In this study, four experiments with two social groups involving 81 participants were conducted. Before the experiments, participants were asked to respond

In large crude oil tank farm, fire is a major primary event in domino effects according to past accidents. The quantitative risk assessment of domino fire accident is a key issue for the accident prevention of large storage tank farm. The most widely used equation for the estimation of the tank's time to failure (TTF) exposed to pool fire is not suitable for 100,000 m3 external floating roof tank.

Thermally-thin compartment fire studies are a reasonable approach to understand fire dynamics in informal settlements, where dwellings built with such materials (e.g. steel sheets) are commonly found. Since the number of people living in informal settlements is growing (currently over 1 billion), fire safety engineering research is of major importance for reducing fire occurrence, loss of life, livelihood

In fire flames scalar dissipation rates in the reaction zone are low and radiation becomes important for extinction. The chemistry mechanism also strongly affects extinction and CO formation. The present study applies the unsteady laminar flamelet approach (or, equivalently, the conditional moment closure (CMC) method in mixture fraction domain, without transport in physical space). Six chemistry mechanisms

In the recent past, the necessity to have a better understanding of fire dynamics and of the full structural response under real fires was the motivation for several large-scale non-standard fire tests. Nowadays, the novel need to better comprehend the fire dynamics behind the so called “travelling fires” underlined the limitations of those non-standard fire tests. The lack of standardised procedures

In this study, a series of experiments were conducted with varying number of pool fires and opening location (floor with ventilation openings) in a 21-story full-scale office building to study the transport phenomena and stratification of hot smoke in the stairwell. The experiments show that the flame of the pool fire inclines away from the side lobby door as pushed by the side air entrainment. The

This work studied flame spread over polyethylene (PE)-insulated wires at high pressure with an emphasis on the effect of ambient pressure. Laboratory simulated wires were used as a tested wire, which consisted of semi-transparent low-density PE (LDPE) tube as an insulation and copper (Cu) rod or stainless-steel (SS) tube as a core. Increasing ambient pressure produced much soot, leading to an intensively

When attempting to suppress severe wildfire the possibility for firefighting crews to be overrun by wildfire, known as entrapment and burnover, remains a catastrophic and all too common occurrence. While improvements have been made to vehicle protection systems to increase the safety of firefighters caught in burnover, the potential effectiveness of these systems remains limited. This study involved

Although there has been a lot of work on ignition times at constant imposed heat flux and on steady creeping flame spread, no definite results exist for the effect of material thickness on these phenomena, specifically away from purely thermally thick or thermally thin conditions. In this work, we first demonstrate, concentrating on the thermal ignition regime, that creeping flame spread can be cast

In this study, the smoke control for fire situations in tunnels with naturally ventilated shafts was studied based on a 1/20 reduced-scale tunnel model, and the effects of the longitudinal fire location, shaft settings, and heat release rate (HRR) on the smoke control were discussed. The experimental results show that a worst longitudinal fire location for smoke control exists. Moreover, the critical

The conditional moment closure (CMC) method is applied in combination with large eddy simulations (LES-CMC) to the UMD line burner configuration. This corresponds to a low-strain, buoyant diffusion flame. The low strain rate conditions are representative of fire conditions and the aim of the study is to evaluate LES-CMC results, including radiative effects. Only conditions far from extinction are studied

Meta-modeling helps to reduce the computational cost of large-scale stochastic simulations. It, however, brings froth additional uncertainty in the prediction. In this work, we illustrate the use of the Response Surface Method (RSM) and Gaussian Process (GP) regression to approximate the cold-side temperature of a fire barrier in a stochastic compartment fire scenario. The deterministic model is a

Guaranteeing the integrity of tunnel structures during and after fire is key in support of a sound fire safety strategy and for minimizing the risk of disruption in the operation of the tunnel due to restauration works post-fire. Innovations in concrete technology have enabled what is known as Fibre Reinforced Concrete (FRC); where very small fibres are used to substitute traditional reinforcement

In addition to classical compartment fire development stages, smoke explosions can occur for underventilated conditions while the ventilation openings remain the same. Smoke explosions are different from backdrafts, involving changes in ventilation by additional openings. In this study, the burning history of medium-density fibre (MDF) cribs located at three different elevations has been investigated

Thin intumescent coating (IC) are nowadays the dominant passive system used to protect structural steel in case of fire. This paper proposes a general procedure for modelling intumescent coating in both simplified and advanced calculation methods, starting from lab-scale test results. The small-scale tests were useful for identifying the parameters that mostly can affect the behaviour of the IC under

A potentially dangerous fire event that can occur in road tunnels is a gasoline tanker fire, where flammable liquid fuel spills on the tunnel roadbed and catches fire. In the USA typically, the water density required for fixed firefighting systems is based on NFPA 13 and the minimum ventilation is based on smoke back layering. This work calculates the required water density based on the tunnel geometry

This paper presents both experimental and mesoscale modeling results of the direct tensile behaviour of two carbon TRC composites at elevated temperatures ranging from 25 °C to 600 °C. Two reinforcement carbon textiles were manufactured industrially in the factory with different geometries and treatment products to improve the textile/matrix bond. For the numerical approach, the input data of the numerical

A detailed understanding of flame radiation is useful in numerous fire applications, and can be improved through experiments and modelling: the work presented here is a contribution to both aspects. Data were gathered for kerosene pool fires (30–250 cm wide), in order to characterise the flame geometry and emission. It was shown that the average visible flame can be well approximated by a conical shape

At elevated temperatures, the mechanical properties of high strength steel (HSS) reported in the literature have an observable scatter. They differ from design code values that are mainly based on experiments on mild steel. In this paper, the mechanical properties of S700 MC at elevated temperatures were investigated with steady state and transient state tensile tests. The reduction factors of yield

The mechanical properties of high strength structural steel (HSSS) at elevated temperatures are the basis for fire-resistant design of HSSS members and structures. Previous studies on the mechanical properties of HSSS at elevated temperatures were mainly conducted on QT (Quenched and Tempered) HSSS, while few studies were conducted on TMCP (Thermo-Mechanical Controlled Process) HSSS. In order to identify

Recently, to simulate microgravity flames in a terrestrial environment, low stretched stagnation-point diffusion flames have aroused wide interest, while the extinction behaviors of varied stretched flames at reduced oxygen concentration were scarcely investigated. This issue was accomplished by an investigation in this paper. Firstly, local and total extinction modes with ‘U’-shape boundaries were

As the fire research community develops multi-scale models to predict the spread of wildland fires, there is a need for well-controlled, small-scale experiments which provide benchmark data and fundamental understanding of the effects of key parameters on the combustion of wildland fuels. Here, we implement a unique suite of non-intrusive, quantitative diagnostics that simultaneously measure mass loss

Pre-tensioned steel strands as basic elements have been widely used in hybrid string structures, cable suspension roofs and cable-stayed bridges. There is a growing need to evaluate the damage of such structures whenever subjected to fire. The aim of this research is to experimentally and numerically investigate the behaviour of pre-tensioned steel strands considering the effect of creep strains at

Previous studies of concrete-encased concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) columns have demonstrated their enhanced fire performance due to the passive protection of the outer encasement. To facilitate the design and application of concrete-encased CFST structures, the fire performance of full-scale reinforced concrete beam to concrete-encased CFST column joints subjected to full-range fire including heating

The knowledge of the behavior of coal undergoing oxidation under various conditions is important for the prevention and control of mine fires. The aim of the work was to investigate carbon oxides, ethane, propane, propylene and ethylene emissions from coal oxidation using an air stream of varying oxygen content. The experiment included the heating of coal in the temperature range of 30–210 °C at atmosphere

The effect of cross-wind on the temperature elevation in the downwind region of rectangular diffusion burners was investigated in wind tunnel experiments. The experimental parameters were the geometry of the diffusion burner (the side length parallel and orthogonal to the cross-wind L1=0.2–0.8m and L2=0.4–2.0m, respectively, and the aspect ratio r=1–10), the heat release rate (Q˙=38.3–383.3 kW), and

The effect of ambient pressure on flame spread and insulation dripping of copper-cored, LDPE-insulated wires exposed to opposed airflows was investigated to increase understanding of electrical wire fire hazards in spacecraft environments. Utilized wire samples consisted of 0.64 mm-diameter copper cores surrounded by 4 mm-outer diameter LDPE insulation sheaths. The wire characteristics were selected

This paper describes the impact and consequences of a dynamic domain expansion in a smoke simulation performed in the software ARTSS. This software is developed with the aim to conduct real-time or even prognosis computations by using GPUs as the main computational architecture. Further runtime acceleration is proposed by means of a dynamic extension of the computational domain. This approach is based

Fire resistance is one of the most enduring ideas in fire safety design. This paper charts the emergence of fire resistance, and its rise to ubiquity – with a focus on British codes and standards. Beginning as a method for independent testing of ‘fireproofing’ systems, fire resistance was formalised in the USA, and subsequently in the UK. Minimum fire resistance periods were defined that would allow

This paper has analyzed the ambient pressure on the effect of the efficiency of the mechanical smoke extraction system in tunnel fires. These were simulated by Large Eddy Simulation (LES) with Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS). The simulation results indicate that it is not the instance that the higher the exhaust rate, the better the smoke exhaust efficiency of the exhaust vent. There is a critical exhaust

This paper describes a series of four full-scale furnace tests conducted on unprotected concrete-filled steel tubular columns with and without reinforcement bars. Three of the columns were subjected to compression and horizontal loads, considering the end restraints provided by the adjacent cooler frame members and the forced displacement caused by thermal elongation of the heated beam during fire

In structures where columns are not continuous along the height of a building the loads are usually transferred via transfer beams. As a result, these beams are subject to larger shear forces and bending moments in comparison to standard beams. Transfer beams are typical in modern construction, especially high-rise building; commonly arising to achieve architectural features. Nonetheless, the research

This paper reported the preparation, fire suppression efficiency, and suppression mechanism of a new suppression powder. In present work, the new suppressant was designed for combining the ability of terminating the chain reactions into the powder extinguishing agent. The trifluoroacetyl group (COCF3) was grafted onto the silicon dioxide (SiO2), and called the compound SiO2–F. Several tests for characterizing

Immediate response to fire incidents is critical for emergency management as delays in arrival at the scene can have significant consequences in terms of injury, destruction and death. Yet, increasing urban interface in cities presents a challenge when developing and implementing effective emergency response mechanisms. Therefore, the major concerns of planners is adequately covering all service areas

Spandrel panels are a common feature of many buildings around the world. Their presence is often cited as a measure to prevent vertical fire spread from storey-to-storey. With a focus on the UK's building regulatory system, this paper charts the introduction of the spandrel panel into local building regulations. It is shown how research activities in the mid twentieth century led to a suggestion that

As bias and uncertainties inevitably exist on both wildland fire model states and parameters, fire simulations do not always accurately forecast the temporal and spatial progression of wildfires. In this paper, a novel approach is proposed to estimate fire perimeters and fuel adjustment factors simultaneously for FARSITE tool. Fire perimeters estimation is the key to reduce model state bias, while

The 9th International Seminar on Fire and Explosion Hazards (ISFEH9) was held from 21 to April 26, 2019 in St. Petersburg, Russia. In this editorial note, we introduce the virtual special issue of the Fire Safety Journal with the extended and modified versions of the selected papers presented at the Seminar. We also take this opportunity to highlight statistics of the conference and to express thanks

Novel aerosol particles were developed and utilised to prevent SCC in underground goafs. The ultrafine aerosol particles (UAPs) were synthesised by grinding ammonium dihydrogen phosphate, magnesium chloride, zinc borate, talcum powder, calcium stearate, sericite, bentonite, and silica to a an equivalent spherical diameter of less than 100 μm in the ratio of 144:36:8:5:5:6:4:2. Loading of 1–5% aerosol

To construct a reliable and reasonable method for the evaluation of the safety of hybrid rockets, the safety distance for blast wave is estimated. Physical phenomena leading to the blast of hybrid rocket propellants are identified and modeled. Currently, fuel fragmentation and dust explosion are recognized as key processes that cause blast waves. A correlation is developed to evaluate the amount of

Cold-formed Light gauge Steel Frame (LSF) floor-ceiling systems are commonly made with non-combustible fire protective membrane to protect the steel floor joists in fire. Thermal improvements to the fire protective membrane delay the heat transfer to structural elements and provide enhanced fire resistance level. Hence, this study addresses the thermal performance of different fire resistant board

Assessing life safety by comparing the available safe egress time (ASET) and the required safe egress time (RSET) is a prominent task in performance-based fire safety design. The calculation of a safety margin by subtracting RSET from ASET is a straightforward concept and is easy to understand. However, when the concept was developed, fire and evacuation models only provided punctual information derived

To understand time gaps during bus evacuation to conduct high-quality risk analysis of tunnel fires, this study collected time gaps from the Hsuehshan tunnel fire in Taiwan, experimental bus evacuations, and observed bus alighting. Based on the analysis of Hsuehshan tunnel fire, two situations were manifested: one wherein the bus passengers alighted normally as if it was a usual bus experience with

Youth misuse of fire is a multifaceted, complex and dangerous phenomenon that is difficult to predict and detect. Reduction relies heavily on prevention programs operated by, or in conjunction with, fire services. Youth Justice Conferencing with firefighter involvement is a tertiary prevention program implemented in New South Wales, Australia, by Juvenile Justice New South Wales and Fire and Rescue