Fire Safety Engineering

Recommended Prerequisites

1st cycle.

Teaching Methods

Teaching methods of theoretical lessons aim at the global learning of the course. These lessons are taught based on presentations and basic literature, using audiovisual means. At the end of each subject that constitutes the program of this course a synthesis is made and some theoretical and practical problems are proposed.

Learning Outcomes

The main objective of this course is to consolidate a set of advanced knowledge in the field of fire development and control by applying them to a concrete project situation. It is intended, therefore, to encourage the practice of a fire safety engineering (performance based) opposed to another way to approach the project using only the solutions contemplated in legislation.

This course aims to reach a more rational and economic solutions, using to that several tools, some of them already covered in other courses while others will be released during the first part of this course. Therefore, there are two distinct parts: an initial, in which several analytical and simulation models related to fire safety are presented, while in the second part these tools are applied to a specific project.

Will also be provided in this course the theoretical principles of smoke movement and methods for its control in fires.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1. Introduction
2. Smoke optical characteristics
3. Principles for smoke and hot gases movement and control
4. Smoke control and pressurization systems and techniques
5. Smoke control in medium-sized and large spaces
6. Smoke control on escape routes
7. Smoke control in buildings with particular characteristics, including industry and tunnels
8. Computational models of temperature evolution and smoke movement (CFAST, FDS+EVAC, OZONE, ARGOS)
9. Analytical models to support the project
10. Simulation models to support the project
11. Articulation of different tools to support project.

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Final work: 100.0%

Bibliography

Viegas, J. C. G. (2010) – Sistemas de Controlo de Fumos em Edifícios (slides de apoio), LNEC.

Clusel, D.; Sarrat, P.; Chardot, P.  – Sécurité Incendie.  Évacuation et contrôle des fumées. Ed. Eyrolles, Paris, 1982

Drysdale, D. – An Introduction to Fire Dynamics. John Wiley, Chichester, UK, 1985.

The SFPE  Handbook.  Society of Fire Protection Engineers, Boston, MA, USA.

Ramos, H. D. – Sopros de Riscos – Teoria e Prática do Controlo de Fumo em Incêndios nos Edifícios. Hader, Lisboa, 2003.

Viegas, J. – Segurança contra Incêndios em Edifícios. Modelação Matemática de Incêndios e Validação Experimental. Lisboa: Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, Instituto Superior Técnico, Julho de 1999. Tese de Doutoramento.

Beyler, C. L. – Fire Chemistry.  John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1995.

Holman, J. P. – Heat Transfer.  7th Edition, Macgraw-Hill, 1990.

Saito, F. – Evaluation of Toxicity of Combustion Products.  The Journal of Combustion Toxicology, Vol. 4, p. 32 a 55, 1977.

Marchant, E. W. – Effect of Wind on smoke movement and smoke control systems.  Fire Safety J., 7, p. 55-63, 1984.