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Introduction
Published in Feng Fu, Fire Safety Design for Tall Buildings, 2021
Chapter 3 introduces the fundamental knowledge of fire and fire safety design. The characteristics of fire and its development are introduced at the beginning. The key fire scenarios that affect the performance of the building members in fire—such as ventilation-controlled or fuel-controlled fire and long-cool, short-hot fire—will be explained. In addition, the fundamentals of heat transfer, a process of the heating up of structural members due to fire, will be introduced. The basic structural fire design principles will also be explained. In fire safety design, most of the codes specify the fire resistance of building elements. The relevant information will be provided in the latter part of this chapter followed by the introduction of fire protection methods.
Performance Evaluation Alkali-Activated Mortar Exposed to Elevated Temperatures
Published in Kwok Wei Shah, Ghasan Fahim Huseien, Recycled Ceramics in Sustainable Concrete, 2020
Kwok Wei Shah, Ghasan Fahim Huseien
Concrete structures such as beam, column and slab used in the buildings must satisfy appropriate fire safety requirements specified to building codes [13,14]. This is because fire represents one of the most severe environmental conditions to which structures may be subjected. Therefore, provision of appropriate fire safety measures for structural members is an important aspect of building design. Fire safety measures to structural members are measured in terms of fire resistance, which is the duration during which a structural member exhibits resistance with respect to structural integrity, stability and temperature transmission [15,16]. Generally, AAMs provide the best fire resistance properties when applied as building material [17]. This excellent fire resistance attribute of AAMs is due to the chemical combination of the constituent materials that are essentially inert and have low thermal conductivity, high heat capacity, and slow strength degradation with temperature [18]. It is this slow rate of heat transfer and strength loss that enables concrete to act as an effective fire shield not only between adjacent spaces but also to protect itself from fire damage [19].
Graph-based network generation and CCTV processing techniques for fire evacuation
Published in Building Research & Information, 2021
Jack C. P. Cheng, Keyu Chen, Peter Kok-Yiu Wong, Weiwei Chen, Chun Ting Li
Evacuation during an emergency such as a fire is one of the most important operational considerations of a building. Global urbanization has led to a high indoor population concentration, indicating the severity of fire disasters in buildings. If evacuation and rescue efforts are hindered, not only can fire be destructive but also deadly (Mattsson & Juås, 1997). With the development of the economy and advances in construction technology, large-scale and high-rise buildings account for an increasing proportion of all buildings (Gormley & Kelly, 2019). The large and complicated interior spaces, as well as the dense population significantly increase the difficulty of fire safety management, as well as fire evacuation and rescue in such buildings (Park et al., 2014). On the other hand, fire evacuation is a dynamic process, which means that the success of evacuation depends on the availability of timely information on the spread of the fire, the transfer or flow of evacuees and the locations of specific hazards. In building design, fire safety is one of the most important aspects to be considered. Building fire codes in different countries and regions, such as the Code of Practice for Fire Safety in Buildings of Hong Kong, provide detailed specifications about the design of various basic building components, including exits, staircases, corridors, doors, refuge floors, etc., and fire control facilities, including fire detectors, fire sprinklers, fire doors, etc. (BDHK, 2011). Besides the above-mentioned building components, some additional building facilities, such as fire evacuation diagrams and escape signs, are also required for navigation during fire escape. However, users may not be able to find the conventional evacuation diagrams or escape signs during an emergency, as the diagrams and signs have limited placement. Besides, this conventional approach cannot take rapid changes of the environment into account. Therefore, innovations are needed for more effective fire evacuation navigation in large-scale and high-rise buildings.