1.

Fundamentals of fire and fire safety

Multidisciplinary aspects in fire safety engineering

Fire risk management: goal is to ensure life safety
1)

Reduce the probability of ignition

Choice of adequate materials (fire reaction)
Safe electric installation
Regulations on building use (no smoking, )

2)

Reduce the probability of fire spread

Choice of adequate materials (fire reaction)
Early detection and alarm
Automatic extinction systems (sprinkler)
Manual extinction apparel (fire extinguishers)
Compartmentalization

3)

Allow safe evacuation of people

Emergency exit (availability, clear signs)
Emergency power system
Training
Smoke and heat extraction
Stability of the structure

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University of Liege

J-M Franssen & T. Gernay

1. Fundamentals of fire and fire safety

Multidisciplinary aspects in fire safety engineering

Combination of different actions to reach the requested level of safety
Note: risk = probability of occurrence x consequence

Prevention

Active protection

Choice of adequate materials

Training (evacuation, extinguisher)
Safe electric installation

Early detection and alarm

Automatic extinction
Smoke extraction

Passive protection
Compartmentalization
Structural fire resistance

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University of Liege

J-M Franssen & T. Gernay

1. Fundamentals of fire and fire safety

Multidisciplinary aspects in fire safety engineering

Passive fire protection (PFP) is an essential component of fire safety, because no
matter what other measures are taken to prevent it, a fire can always occur and
grow. Passive fire protection is then the last resort for ensuring people safety.
PFP focuses on the response of the structure to fire: resistance, heat and flame
propagation, etc.
As a result, designing PFP requires an understanding and the capability of modeling
the development of the fire and the response of materials, elements and entire
structures. Therefore, engineers must be trained specifically for fire engineering.
Generally speaking, PFP consists of compartmentalization and structural stability in
fire.

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J-M Franssen & T. Gernay

1. Fundamentals of fire and fire safety

Multidisciplinary aspects in fire safety engineering

Compartmentalization
Definition: division of a building in different compartments through which the fire
cannot spread, so the fire remains contained in the compartment of origin.
Compartmentalization is made using vertical barriers (walls) and horizontal barriers
(floors)

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J-M Franssen & T. Gernay

1. Fundamentals of fire and fire safety

Multidisciplinary aspects in fire safety engineering

Compartmentalization
- Secures a shorter emergency exit for building occupants
- Limits losses due to fire for a company
- Allows effective intervention by the fire brigades
- Separates compartments with different fire risk levels, e.g.
- Boiler or fuel storage room (small compartment at high risk strong measures)
- Bricks storage room (large compartment at low risk light measures)

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University of Liege

J-M Franssen & T. Gernay

1. Fundamentals of fire and fire safety

Multidisciplinary aspects in fire safety engineering

Compartmentalization
E.g.: multi-story building with apartments
- Horizontal compartmentalization: fire barrier between each story
- Vertical compartmentalization: each apartment and staircase is a compartment

These rules allow limiting the fire to the

apartment of origin. Every other occupants can
whether:
- Evacuate using the staircase
- Stay safely in their apartment until being
rescued of until the fire is extinguished

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J-M Franssen & T. Gernay

1. Fundamentals of fire and fire safety

Multidisciplinary aspects in fire safety engineering

Structural stability
It is crucial to ensure stability of the structure during adequate time for allowing safe
emergency exit for the occupants. This implies:
- Preventing global collapse of the structure, obviously
- Preventing local collapse of a fire barrier, which would ruin the
compartmentalization and let the fire spread possibly to the emergency exit paths
Safety of fire brigades is also at stake
Examples of structural collapse due to fire with severe consequences:
Skyscraper, World Trade Centre, New York, 2001, 2996 casualties (343 fire fighters)
Underground car park, Gretzenbach, Switzerland, 2005, 7 casualties (7 fire fighters)
Apartment building, Liege, 2010, 18 casualties
Mall, Brussels, 1967, 323 casualties

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University of Liege

J-M Franssen & T. Gernay

1. Fundamentals of fire and fire safety

Multidisciplinary aspects in fire safety engineering

Structural stability
E.g.: underground car park
in Switzerland

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J-M Franssen & T. Gernay

1. Fundamentals of fire and fire safety

Multidisciplinary aspects in fire safety engineering

Fire risk management
1. First objective: life safety
2. Secondary objective: property protection
Property protection against fire is also important:
- Limitation of direct costs
- LimitaFon of indirect costs resilience e.g. critical infrastructure, bridges, tunnels
Loss of functionality due to fire damage may have gigantic consequences in the case of
transportation networks, power plants, hospitals, etc.
The stability requirement (fire resistance of structures) is an essential component in fire
risk management, for ensuring life safety, as well as for limiting economic losses and
improving resilience of our society.

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J-M Franssen & T. Gernay

1. Fundamentals of fire and fire safety

Multidisciplinary aspects in fire safety engineering

Resilience
Extract from National Institute of Building Sciences news release of May 10, 2016
Working through its relevant councils, the Institute will convene stakeholders to
develop findings and recommendations on Advancing Long-Term Performance in
Codes, Standards and Other Policies. To date, codes and standards have focused on the
criteria necessary to provide short-term protection and ease of evacuation in the face of
a hazard event. Yet, resilience requires a focus on the long-term viability of structures to
support social and economic viability of an effected community. This effort will identify
a potential path forward in addressing this gap.

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