News

11th IAFSS Symposium Registration Open Now

by Michael Gollner

 

Visit the Registration Website

Symposium Registration Fees

Early Registration  (postmarked ON OR BEFORE December 15, 2013)*

IAFSS Members**

NZ$950 + GST

NZ$1092.50

Non-Members**

NZ$1150  + GST

NZ$1322.50

Students**

NZ$500  + GST

NZ$575.00

Sunday Workshops***

NZ$60 for 1st workshop;

NZ$30 for 2nd workshop

NZ$60 1st workshop

NZ$30 2nd workshop

Optional Social Events

Sunday night Feb 9:

Welcome Reception+

included

Monday night Feb 10:

Wine tasting & Barbeque at Staff club+

NZ$50

Wednesday night Feb 12:

International Antarctic Centre***

NZ$65

Thursday night Feb 13:

Banquet

Included

*Registration fees will increase after 15 December 2013

**Registration fees apply to the program from Monday 10 February to Friday 14 February and include: admission to all technical sessions, a delegate conference kit, morning and afternoon coffee breaks, lunches (including the Closing Lunch on Friday 14 February), the Sunday night 9 February Welcome reception, and the Thursday night 13 February Symposium Banquet. All attendees, including presenters, must register for the Symposium.

***Workshop registration fees apply the Sunday 9 Feburary and include: admission to workshops and lunch

Companion Program Registration Fees

Night-Time Social Events

Sunday night 9 Feb:

Welcome Reception+

NZ$40

Monday night 10 Feb:

Dinner in Annapolis+

NZ$50

Wednesday night 12 Feb:

International Antarctic Centre*

NZ$65

Thursday night 13 Feb:

Banquet at the Cardboard Cathedral

NZ$120

+On-campus events

***The Host Committee is proposing an exceptional social program. The program includes a wine tasting and barbeque at staff club on the original homestead on campus Monday night 10 February; this promises to be a most enjoyable evening with time to socialize with colleagues and stroll through the extensive gardens while sampling some of New Zealand finest wines. Wednesday night 12 February we will visit the International Antarctic Centre.  The event will include light stand-up meal and exclusive entry into the exhibits. Registration fees for both Monday and Wednesday night events include: admission to the event, lite meal and bus transportation. Everyone is encouraged to attend!

 

Official letter of invitation

Some of our international attendees will need a Visa to enter the NZ and join us at the University of Canterbury.  Most countries are eligible for the visa-waiver and do not need to apply for a visa before arrival.  Please see the New Zealand Immigration website for more information on obtaining a visa.  If you need a Visa, then you may need a letter of invitation as supporting documentation to be included in your Visa application package.

To obtain a letter of invitation, please send an email to the local Host Committee Chair (Charles Fleischmann, Charles.fleischmann@canterbury.ac.nz) with the following information:

• Name (Last name, First Name)
• Title
• Organization
• Address
• Nationality
• Date of Birth
• Place of Birth
• Passport Number
• Issuing Authority
• Date of issue
• Date of expiry

For additional information, please contact:

Symposium Chairman
W K Chow
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Email: wan-ki.chow@polyu.edu.hk

 

Host Chairman
Charles Fleischmann

University of Canterbury

Email: Charles.fleischmann@canterbury.ac.nz or phone:  (+64) 3 364-2399

 

News

New Open-Access Journal: Case Studies in Fire Safety

by admin

case studies fire safety

The new publication, Case Studies in Fire Safety provides a forum for the rapid publication of short, structured Case Studies in Fire Safety and related Short Communications, and will provide an essential compendium of case studies for fire protection engineers, designers , researchers and other practitioners in the field of fire safety who are interested in all aspects of fire safety.

Alongside high quality theory-based research, insights into and sharing of practical design solutions is needed to address many problems relating to fire safety. Case Studies in Fire Safety provides a resource for the sharing of such insights and solutions. It will offer a valuable resource for practitioners and researchers working in all fields of fire safety. Published papers will be short and technically focused, rapidly reviewed and disseminated in an Open Access forum. All authors will be given feedback on the number of times their paper has been downloaded with information on the geographical distribution of the downloads.

The list of topics Case Studies in Fire Safety will cover is wide, and will include (but not be limited to): fire chemistry and physics, fire dynamics (including gas explosions), active fire protection systems (including detection and suppression), fire performance of structures, passive fire protection methods, people/fire interactions (physical, physiological and psychological), fire safety management, assessment and quantification of fire risk (including acceptability of risk), fire investigation, fire safety design (including consumer items, industrial plant, transportation, buildings), fire safety legislation, and fire safety education.

With this in mind, I would like to welcome you to Case Studies in Fire Safety.

Mr Peter Johnson, Arup. Editor-in-Chief, Case Studies in Fire Safety

http://www.journals.elsevier.com/case-studies-in-fire-safety/

News

11th Symposium Poster Abstracts due Oct. 31

by Michael Gollner

Poster abstracts are due October 31. One page abstracts (in PDF format) should be submitted electronically in the same way as full paper submissions, that is, through the EasyChair conference paper submission system. Please refer to the Paper Submission Instructions following the provided template. Once logged into EasyChair as an author, please choose the ‘Poster’ track to submit your poster in PDF format only.

News

9/11 Blazes Debunk Code Assumptions About Fire Behavior in Open-Plan Offices

by Michael Gollner

Below is an excerpt of a recent article published by Engineering News Record describing recent efforts to rethink structural fire protection engineering for large, open-plan office spaces.

9/11 Blazes Debunk Code Assumptions About Fire Behavior in Open-Plan Offices
By Nadine M. Post, Engineering News Record
WTC

Structural fire engineering is heating up in the U.S. and Europe, thanks in large part to the “traveling fires” observed on Sept. 11, 2001, at the World Trade Center. Structural and fire-protection engineers, aware that current design assumptions do not reflect the behavior of large fires in open-plan office spaces, are developing tools to prevent unprotected structures from collapsing under extreme fire loads.

“I very much believe that certain structures should be analyzed for fire exposure” when there are specific threats or there is a high consequence of failure, says Kevin J. LaMalva, a structural and fire-protection engineer with Simpson, Gumpertz & Heger, Waltham, Mass.

As a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers fire-protection technical committee, LaMalva is co-authoring “Performance-Based Design Procedures for Fire Effects on Structures.” The PBD guide is intended as a non-binding appendix for the 2016 edition of the standard “ASCE/SEI 7: Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures.”

The proposed appendix and commentary set forth performance criteria and evaluation methods for structural systems exposed to significant fires, such as traveling fires or other fires large enough to threaten the structural system.

Structural fire engineering—the interface between fire dynamics and structural engineering—is a relatively young discipline. This would be the first time fire is considered as an explicit load, like wind or seismic, in a U.S. standard.

“There is no such guidance for structural engineers in the U.S.,” says Therese McAllister, a research structural engineer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Md., and LaMalva’s co-author. Building officials need guidance to help early adopters with the approval of proposed PBDs, she adds.

When it comes to large-floor-plate open-plan office space, the 9/11 fires revealed that model building codes’ prescriptive provisions are flawed. Traditional methods for specifying fire load on the structure erroneously assume uniform burning and homogenous temperature conditions throughout a compartment, regardless of its size.

That’s not the condition in a traveling fire, in which the “flame front” spreads around the floor plate, toward openings such as broken windows, to oxygen. As it travels, the fire burns out as it consumes flammable contents, but there is no cooling behind the flames. Smoke, ahead of and behind the flames, actually preheats and post-heats the structure, causing it to lose strength.

In the U.K., researchers at the University of Edinburgh, sponsored by a $100,000 grant from multidisciplinary engineer Arup, developed a PBD method to keep large-compartment structures standing, even in an unfought fire. The work, finished in 2010, was inspired by the fires set by the highjacked plane attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC).

The fires traveled, defying design assumptions in place for 100 years. “We were surprised and at first thought it was an anomaly,” says Guillermo Rein, who led the Edinburgh research and is currently a professor of mechanical engineering at Imperial College, London.

The WTC fires were troubling, adds Rein. Large-compartment fires last longer and produce more heat, though they burn over a limited area at any one time.

Due to this behavior, conventional design approaches are not necessarily conservative, as assumed, says Rein. The research indicates that the worst-case scenario would be a fire traveling with a size 10% to 25% of the floor area.

The traveling-fire methodology uses simple analytical calculations coupled with a finite element model. Computational fluid-dynamics modeling confirms the results, says Rein. Using a PC or a laptop, engineers trained in the methodology can model the behavior of a two- to three-hour fire over an entire floor in two or three days. A computer cluster can accelerate the modeling to several hours. More costly cloud computing can almost model in real time, says Rein.

Five people are trained in applying the methodology: Rein and four engineers at Arup, including his two former Edinburgh Ph.D. students-researchers, Angus Law, currently at Arup Leeds, and Jamie Stern-Gottfried, currently at Arup Berlin.

Rein is seeking funds to produce a guide that explains the methodology. He figures it is a three-year project.

Each analysis is building-specific. This can result in a more cost-effective design, with protection tailored to the threat, says Rein. The method compliments the traditional method, he adds.

Arup has applied the approach to a half-dozen projects. It recommends contacting the authorities having jurisdiction as early as during conceptual design. The analysis is more involved and costs more than a prescriptive approach, says Arup, but it potentially increases the flexibility of the architecture while increasing the structure’s robustness.

Morgan J. Hurley, technical director for the Society of Fire Protection Engineers, Bethesda, Md., has some issues with the traveling-fire method. It is difficult to predict the way a fire will travel because travel is based on the number of openings, such as broken windows, and that is an unknown, he explains. Similarly, the distribution and type of fuel—building contents—influence fire behavior.

In response, Law says the method allows Arup to predict a range of possible scenarios for any particular building.

The Edinburgh research has been peer-reviewed, but it hasn’t gone through the full standardization process. An effort to include it in the Eurocode is beginning. Once that happens, the method will be transferable to the U.S. Says Hurley, “The fire doesn’t care if the building is in the U.K. or Spain or New York City.”

This summer, ASCE’s fire committee chair, Maria Garlock, expects to present the proposed PBD appendix to the main ASCE 7 committee for balloting. Its future is uncertain, says Garlock, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Princeton University. Seeing potential liability, structural engineers, not typically trained in fire engineering, may resist even a non-mandatory appendix.

Read the full article at: http://enr.construction.com/buildings/design/2013/0729-911-Blazes-Debunk-Code-Assumptions-About-Fire-Behavior-in-Open-Plan-Offices.asp

 

The IAFSS web team is always looking for relevant news, upcoming events and open academic positions to share with the community. Please submit suggestions to webmaster@iafss.org. 

News

Fires During the 2012 Hurricane Sandy in Queens, New York: A First Report

by admin

A preview of a featured article from the March, 2013 edition of Fire Safety Science News #34:

by Charles R. Jennings

John Jay College of Criminal Justice
The City University of New York, USA

The topic of fire during hurricanes has received scant attention in the scholarly fire engineering community and even in the trade press. While common sense clearly suggests that damage attendant to a hurricane and hazards of utilities and temporary measures for their restoration would produce heightened risk, particularly following an event, a casual review of scholarly indexes shows scarcely any mention of the topic. Hurricane Sandy will be remembered for its widespread swath of destruction. The images of fire-scarred Breezy Point, a community in New York was but one of several large fires that caused unprecedented damage in the City of New York on October 29-30, 2012.

While calls for emergency services were heightened throughout the City, the geography of the Rockaway Peninsula and its location on the southeastern border of the City made it the most severely exposed (along with Staten Island) to the storm’s effects. Remarkably, there were no deaths or significant injuries reported to responders or residents in these historic fires.

One point that is common to all these fires was flooding. The bulk of the Rockaways were inundated throughout

Figure 1. Damage following the fires in Breezy Point. Looking north from the area of origin.
Figure 1. Damage following the fires in Breezy Point.
Looking north from the area of origin.

this event. However, because flooding was a result of both ocean tidal and storm surge effects, the water levels rose quickly and varied throughout the events. At their heights, water levels were sufficiently high as to prevent movement of even heavy vehicles – preventing the intervention of the local fire services – the Fire Department of New York (FDNY).

The other factor critical to these events was wind. With gusts reported up to 75 miles per hour (120 km/h) and sustained winds coming from the southeast, fire spread was driven by wind currents.

 

Breezy Point

Breezy Point is a beach enclave technically self-administering, located on the easternmost tip of the Rockaways. Originally established as a seasonal beach resort, it began with modest cottages and several resorts along the beach. Over time, it grew in to more substantial year-round occupation and many of the original cottages were improved or replaced with multi-story homes of conventional design. The physical plan of the fire area consisted of closely spaced dwellings separated by as little as a few feet (~1m) — with decks, porches and other features making a nearly- continuous field of combustibles. The street plan (refer to map) consisted of alternating narrow streets and smaller, paved paths designed to be navigated on foot or in compact service vehicles.  Construction was almost exclusively timber framed, with older cottages typically built on pilings and more recent homes equipped with masonry or poured concrete foundations and basement stories.

Figure 2: left) Map of fire limits in Breezy Point;
Figure 2: left) Map of fire limits in Breezy Point;

 

Figure 2: right) Map of fire limits in Belle Harbor
Figure 2: right) Map of fire limits in Belle Harbor

First reported at 1830, the fire was first reported at 173 Ocean Avenue. The extraordinary conditions faced by responders during the storm were illustrated by FDNY Assistant Chief Joseph Pfeiffer’s recollections about reaching the blaze. He reported winding through darkened streets, turning back to avoid fallen trees, driving through water, and ultimately having to stop as he crossed the Marine Park Bridge, which links Brooklyn to the Rockaway Peninsula over Jamaica Bay. “There was three feet of water on the far end of the bridge. I had to park my fire department sedan, and ended up boarding an Engine Company to ride into the scene. Water was up to the headlights as we drove toward the glow.”


Companies operating relied on drafting standing water in a large parking are on the north side of the blaze, and made use of hydrants – some of which were used only after firefighters made connections by diving into the floodwaters and connecting hoses by feel amid the storm. Figure 2 (left) shows the view of the damage looking north from near the point of origin.

Driven by the strong winds coming directly off the ocean, the fire spread from house to house in the densely packed enclave. Chief Pfeiffer credited stopping the fire to being able to position resources ahead of the moving fire, and being ready to exploit an opportunity when winds shifted early in the morning of the 30th.  He cautioned that had the winds not shifted, that the fire could well have continued to the west. The fire was declared under control at approximately 0630 on the 30th.  The fire destroyed some 126 homes and damaged another 22. The effects of manual fire suppression efforts are apparent as the demarcation of destroyed and damaged homes is very clear (Figure 2 left).

Belle Harbor

The Newport Avenue fire is perhaps the most interesting from the perspective of fire spread. Occurring in a predominantly residential neighborhood of detached 1-2 family dwellings, this fire was also driven by the wind, and exhibited a remarkable path of travel. Although timber frame buildings appeared to fare poorly, there were notable examples of fire extending into and through masonry structures as well.

Figure 3. Photograph of Building of origin on Beach 129 Street in foreground, looking to the northwest.
Figure 3. Photograph of Building of origin on Beach 129 Street in foreground, looking to the northwest.

Figure 2 (right) shows the pattern of damage for this fire. The fire began on Beach 129 Street in a 2-family timber frame house (Figure 3), extended to an adjacent  brick exterior 2-family house, driven by winds it moved across backyards, possibly into a detached car storage structure and spread to three houses in a row on Beach 130th Street. The last of these houses was a masonry exterior home on the corner of Newport Ave and Beach 130 Street. The fire, driven by high winds, spread via a likely combination of flying brands, across the Newport Avenue (shown running left to right across the photo) and into a 2-story masonry-faced commercial building housing a restaurant. Despite its being detached, and surrounded on three sides by streets or a parking lot, the fire spread in two directions count – northward along Beach 130 Street, and across the west side of Beach 130 Street, where it consumed an additional 16 buildings[1].  Thirty-two buildings were destroyed in all. The fire was stopped mid-block with a brick-walled home suffering significant fire damage on the west side of the street, and a large timber frame home suffering damage to vinyl siding on its façade. The home on the east side of the street had a larger space between the fire and the other houses on the block. Fire suppression stopped this fire from spreading further, and like the others, firefighting was delayed because of high water levels.

Rockaway Beach Blvd.

The Rockaway Beach Boulevard fire occurred in a commercial strip of buildings predominantly of ordinary construction (masonry exterior walls and timber interiors with some incidental steel structural members). The buildings ranged in height from 1 to 3 stories.

Interestingly, the fire spread was constrained by its location adjacent to a rail yard, which prevented its spread to the north. A masonry building with no windows abutting the building of origin prevented spread to the east, while a gap of roughly 3 feet (0.9 m) and fire service intervention limited spread on the western end of the block, although the building exposed suffered some damage, mainly scorching of its façade. This building was of brick and timber joist construction, which likely prevented the propagation of the fire and permitted successful intervention by fire services. Sixteen buildings were destroyed. Figure 4 shows damage resulting from this fire.

Figure 4. Map of fire area, Rockaway Beach Boulevard.
Figure 4. Map of fire area, Rockaway Beach Boulevard.

Summary

Three concurrent large fires in a relatively small geographic area of an island is highly unusual in New York City. The spread of fire between brick or stone facade buildings was worthy of further study, as was the transmission of fire across a wide thoroughfare in the Belle Harbor fire. The extraordinary efforts of the FDNY were instrumental in stopping these well-developed fires and point out the need for well-staffed and equipped fire services during extreme events not commonly thought to be “fire” emergencies.

 

References and Acknowledgments: Information on cause and origin and numbers of buildings damaged or destroyed came from FDNY Media Advisory “Fire Marshals Determine Causes of Several Major Fires from the Night of Super Storm Sandy – Including Breezy Point Fire Which Destroyed 126 Homes” December 24, 2012 online. Field investigation and photography was assisted by Chaim Roberts of the Christian Regenhard Center for Emergency Response Studies at John Jay College. Mapping was donated by Tom Vaughan of Manitou, Inc., Peekskill, NY. We acknowledge the assistance of several members of the FDNY who provided information to support this effort.

 

[1] The official number of buildings was determined by counting addresses destroyed – the count made after the fire by the author relied only on foundations and aerial imagery to establish a count.

 

News

US 4th Fire Behavior and Fuels Conference Recap

by admin

The US edition of the 4th Fire Behavior and Fuels Conference – co-organized by IAWF (International Association of Wildland Fire), IAFSS, Tomsk State University, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute – was held in Raleigh from February 18 to 22, 2013. This conference allowed wildland fire researchers to meet around the main topic: “At the Crossroads, Looking Toward the Future in a Changing Environment”. This topic arose from the feeling that the changing environment substantially modifies fire behavior and fire regimes in the forests as well as at the wildland/urban interface.

This edition can be deemed as a success, with around 350 attendees, 7 keynote presentations, 85 oral presentations and over 50 posters representing the last research developments in fire behavior and fuel modeling. In addition to the presentations, over 10 workshops were held on February 18 to discuss specific fire topics or present new applications developed in research and now available to end-users.

In addition to the U.S. edition, the Russian edition will be held in St. Petersburg from July 1 to 4 (Download Flyer PDF at: www.iawfonline.org/2013FuelsConference/Call-for-papers-St.Petes.pdf). Contributed oral, poster and special session papers may cover a wide variety of topics. Proposals that make creative use of the conference theme are especially welcome. Visit the conference webpage (www.iawfonline.org/2013FuelsConference/CFP.php) for a full listing of suggested topics and an explanation of the session formats.

The CALL FOR ABSTRACTS deadline for the St. Petersburg, Russia, Conference was March 1st but we decided to offer a grace period until March 17th for IAFSS members to encourage more submission from fire scientists. Your contribution will be much welcomed! Please, send your abstract directly to: asimeoni@wpi.edu.

A selection of the best papers from Raleigh and St. Petersburg will be published in special issues of the International Journal of Wildland Fire and the Fire Safety Journal. IAFSS awards will also be given for the best paper, best applied paper and best student paper in St. Petersburg.

All abstracts for the St. Petersburg, Russia, conference will be reviewed and notification of acceptance made by 15 April 2013.

News

Fire Safety Science News #34 – March, 2013

by admin

The March, 2013 edition of Fire Safety Science News, the official newsletter of the IAFSS newsletter is now available online. The latest issue includes four invited Featured Articles. The first article reports on the urban fires caused by the October 2012 Hurricane Sandy in New York. These recent fires also captured the attention of the international media worldwide (and were even linked indirectly to climate change). The second article is on the new version of Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) that will be released soon. FDS has become a very important tool for fire safety science and news of the last version is received with expectation. The third article focuses on the early history of fire testing going back to the 1790’s. It reminds us of the dangers of focusing excessively on artificial testing environments while ignoring the real fire behavior. For the last Featured Article, I made sure to include in this issue what was missing in the last one; an overview of why flame retardants are important for fire safety. Two other articles, submitted independently by the plastic industries in response to articles in the last issue, join this debate. This on‐going debate, started because of a series of articles in the Chicago Tribune, needs a much stronger presence of the fire safety science. It is my hope that Fire Safety Science News could contribute towards a larger participation of IAFSS members in public discussions.

Click here to view on Scribd and Download PDF

 Manually download PDF

Applications for the BRE Chair in Fire Safety Engineering at Edinburgh

by Michael Gollner

 

BRE Research Chair in Fire Safety Engineering

Vacancy Ref: :

009143

Closing Date :

20-Feb-2013

Contact Person :

Professor Luke Bisby

Contact Number :

0131 650 5710

Contact Email :

luke.bisby@ed.ac.uk

The establishment of the BRE Centre of Excellence in Fire Safety Engineering has been extremely successful, both in terms of research and educational outcomes. It brings together the UK’s two most prestigious fire research and educational institutions, both of which have acclaimed international status in this field. The formation of this Centre has represented an innovation for the UK which has since been emulated with the creation of four additional BRE Centres of Excellence in research areas associated with the built environment in other UK universities. BRE Global Ltd and BRE Ltd are owned by the BRE Trust. 

To continue its policy of investment in excellent people, the School of Engineering seeks to appoint the BRE Research Chair in Fire Safety Engineering. You will have an internationally evident research track record in fire safety engineering with an emphasis on combustion and/or fire dynamics relevant to fire safety in the built environment. You will contribute to teaching in the School of Engineering, particularly in areas relevant to Fire Safety Engineering.

BACKGROUND

The BRE Trust (http://www.bre.co.uk/bretrust/) which supports the BRE Chair in Fire Safety Engineering, is a research and education charity for the public benefit, registered by the Charity Commission (registered charity number 1092193). It was created to ensure that BRE remains independent of specific commercial interests, and retains its reputation for objectivity and impartiality in research and consultancy. All of the companies owned by the BRE Trust contribute their profits to supporting the Trust’s mission to promote and support excellence and innovation in the built environment for the benefit of all.

The BRE Trust achieves this by funding and managing a strategic research programme in the built environment sector. Fire protection research, consultancy, testing and certification activities are undertaken by BRE Global Ltd which incorporates the Fire Research Station (FRS) and the Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB) and has been a world leader in fire safety research since its establishment in 1947 and recognised as the UK’s national fire research and fire safety centre. It continues to be involved with major fire incident investigations which have included Flixborough, Ronan Point, Summerland, Piper Alpha, Kings Cross, the Channel Tunnel fires and more recently the Rose Park Care Home and Atherstone on Stour.

Research

The University of Edinburgh has a long tradition in Fire Safety Engineering research and education and is recognised internationally for its work over the last forty years. This has been characterised by innovative research and the education of several of the current leaders in the field. The programme was considerably increased in both size and breadth during the past decade by the development of new state-of-the-art experimental facilities (Fire Labs I & II); the refurbishment of space for Fire & Structures research; and the addition of four new academic staff members in support of the Structures and Fire degree courses. The Fire Safety Engineering Group at the School of Engineering in the University of Edinburgh (http://www.see.ed.ac.uk/fire/) is involved in a wide range of research subjects and is also deeply involved in setting the direction for the practice of Fire Safety Engineering globally. Their objective is to develop a co-ordinated approach to performance-based Fire Safety Engineering Design. This work may be subdivided in several focus areas, including:

• Fire dynamics (ignition and fire growth) 
• Fire behaviour of materials 
• Fire modelling and integrated numerical simulation
• Fire Safety Engineering methodology
• Structural Fire Engineering

Teaching

At present the School of Engineering offers a number of courses directly related to Fire Safety Engineering. These include:

• The BEng/MEng in Structural Engineering with Fire Safety;
• The MSc in Structural and Fire Engineering (SAFE); and
• The Erasmus Mundus joint International MSc in Fire Safety Engineering (joint with Lund and Ghent).

The BRE Centre currently organises two Continuing Professional Development (CPD) short courses through The University’s Office for Lifelong Learning (http://www.lifelong.ed.ac.uk/); one on ‘Fire Science and Fire Investigation’, and another on ‘Fire Dynamics and Fire Safety Engineering Design’. The successful candidate would be expected to participate and take the initiative in new CPD ventures.

JOB DESCRIPTION

You will be expected to contribute to research in the Institute for Infrastructure and the Environment and teaching and administration in the School of Engineering. You will be expected to:

• identify and propagate visions for new research
• generate substantial external research funding and deliver significant output
• lead and expand a group of academics, research staff and PhD students 
• publish in quality peer-reviewed research journals
• contribute to teaching to masters level, in the School of Engineering, particularly in areas relevant to Fire Safety Engineering. 
• undertake appropriate administrative duties
• contribute to the intellectual wealth and collegiate environment of the School.

Responsibilities: Research and Leadership

You will initiate, perform and deliver fundamental and applied research that complements and integrates with other appropriate research areas in the School. 

You will be expected to: 

1. Initiate, plan, lead, perform and deliver research into fire safety engineering. The University of Edinburgh aims to retain and expand its international position in this research domain.
2. Demonstrate and deliver internationally-evident quality research, leadership and publishing activity.
3. Generate UK, European and international funding to support this research and establish it in the world arena. 
4. Lead and expand a vibrant and interactive group of academics, research staff and PhD students within the Institute for Infrastructure and Environment. 
5. Develop graduating fire safety engineering professionals and early career researchers, by means of BEng, MEng, MSc teaching and doctoral training.
6. Create, lead and participate in collaborative research projects.
7. Include in the above collaborative research projects relevant industrial partners.
8. Participate in Knowledge Exchange using standard University policies and procedures.

Responsibilities: Teaching 

The School’s degrees in Civil Engineering are accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators (The Institution of Civil Engineers, the Institution of Structural Engineers, the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation, and the Institute of Highway Engineers). In addition to the degrees associated with fire safety engineering, the School also offers the following:

• Civil Engineering (H804/H800)
• Structural and Fire Safety Engineering (H225/H224)
• Structural Engineering with Architecture (H225/H224)

You will be expected to provide vision and leadership in the ongoing development and delivery of courses on degrees with particular emphasis on Fire Safety Engineering.

You would be expected to participate and take the initiative in new CPD ventures such as those currently organised by the BRE Centre through The University’s Office for Lifelong Learning (http://www.lifelong.ed.ac.uk/): ‘Fire Science and Fire Investigation’; ‘Fire Dynamics and Fire Safety Engineering Design’. 

Further details are available on the undergraduate degree programmes are available from the School website and the University websites. The School runs a growing range of successful MSc programmes on which the candidate will be expected to contribute teaching and project supervision.

Responsibilities: Administration 

You will become the Director of the BRE Centre for Fire Safety Engineering and will also be expected to undertake and deliver senior administrative duties within the Institute and School or in the wider University environment, where appropriate.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

You will be expected to meet the following essential requirements:

• The vision to generate and deliver an internationally recognised research agenda in Fire Safety Engineering. 
• An internationally-evident reputation for performing quality research in areas relevant to fire safety Engineering and its implementation, including a record of obtaining funding for research (particular attention will be paid to applicants with expertise in fire dynamics, and/or combustion). 
• A significant number of high quality peer-reviewed journal publications.
• Demonstrable success in winning research funding, team building and delivery of research outcomes, including collaborative research with industry.
• Demonstrated excellent academic and research leadership.
• Excellence and commitment as a motivated and proficient educator in Higher Education.
• The ability to teach required subjects with highest proficiency across the range of teaching provision. 
• Excellent communication, presentation and organisational skills and high proficiency in written and oral English language.

Desirable Requirements

• Significant experience of working with industry on both research and consultancy projects and managing/maintaining growing industrial partnerships.

THE INSTITUTE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE and ENVIRONMENT

Fire Safety Engineering research is conducted within the Institute for Infrastructure and Environment: http://www.eng.ed.ac.uk/research/IIE/

The Institute is shaping the development of better technologies to improve the built and natural environments. In addition to the BRE Centre for Fire Safety Engineering, the Institute conducts similarly excellent activities in the following areas: 

• Fire Safety Engineering (including fire initiation and propagation, fire growth, compartment fire dynamics, fire chemistry and material flammability and the structural response of materials and buildings to fire conditions); 
• Structural Engineering (including theoretical, computational and experimental research covering shell structures; granular solids mechanics and handling, structural mechanics in medicine, and FRPs in structural engineering); 
• Non-Destructive Testing (including NDT of concrete and masonry bridges, NDT of railway trackbed, forward numerical modelling of NDT); 
• Construction Management (including construction process simulation and management); and 
• Environmental Engineering (including membrane technologies, water and wastewater treatment, and water treatment for developing countries).

The Institute is located in the Alexander Graham Bell building (opened in 2004) and the William Rankine building (opened in 2006) and currently has eighteen FTE academic staff, including six Professors, two Readers, six Senior Lecturers and four Lecturers. 

Laboratory Facilities

There are nine main teaching and research laboratories in Civil and Environmental Engineering. Those directly relevant to the current post include:

• Fire Lab I – The Rushbrook Fire Safety Laboratory (including cone calorimeter, 0.5MW furniture hood, and Flame Propagation Apparatus);
• Fire Lab II – The Fire and Materials Laboratory (including high temperature mechanical and thermal characterisation equipment);
• The Structures Large Test Hall (recently underwent a £500K refurbishment and now allows for medium-scale structural fire tests using radiant panel arrays); and
• The Light Structures and Materials “Clean” Laboratory. 

Access to other equipment for e.g. mass spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, etc, are available within the School of Engineering.

Edinburgh Research Partnership in Engineering and Mathematics

The School of Engineering is a founder member of the Edinburgh Research Partnership in engineering and mathematics (ERPem), a consortium involving the University of Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University and Edinburgh Napier University, set up in 2006 with SFC/OST investment. The ERPem is organised into six Joint Research Institutes (JRIs) dedicated to world-class research, innovation and education in engineering and mathematical science. The long-term vision of ERPem is to be the prime vehicle for world-leading research in Engineering and Mathematical Sciences carried out at the participating institutions, and one which is recognised worldwide as a centre of excellence in these disciplines.

The Joint Research Institutes are in the areas of: 

• Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Signal and Image Processing
• Mathematical Sciences
• Subsurface Science and Engineering
• Energy
• Integrated Systems (Precision Optical, Electronic and Miniature Systems)

Each of the six JRIs combines the relevant academic staff, postdoctoral research fellows and their graduate students from the partner Universities into a single joint research institute, significantly enhancing research capacity and scale.

APPOINTMENT DETAILS

This role is grade UE10 Professorial (range £54,826 to 91,978). Salary is paid monthly by direct transfer to Bank or Building Society account, normally on the 28th of the month.

The positions are open to candidates of all nationalities. Those who would enhance the diversity of the School in terms of nationality and/or gender are particularly encouraged to apply. 

If relocation within the UK is required, the University will reimburse the successful candidate for vouched expenditure, within an overall upper limit of £3,000. If relocation from overseas is required, a contribution will be made towards vouched expenditure. 

The University recognises that it may be advantageous that the successful candidate should be able to accept, within reasonable limits, consultancies or other paid employment outwith their University appointment. Permission to undertake such activities will not be withheld unnecessarily but it is a condition of the appointment that such employment may be undertaken only with the express approval of the Head of School.

The taking up of references (which will occur without notice unless otherwise requested) is selective and does not imply a decision that the application will be placed on the final short-list for interviews.

Applicants will be informed as to whether they have been shortlisted or not, but we may not be in a position to give detailed feedback to those not shortlisted.

UKBA CERTIFICATE OF SPONSORSHIP

Eligibility to work

In accordance with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 the University of Edinburgh, as an employer, has a legal responsibility to prevent illegal working and therefore must check that all employees are entitled to work in the United Kingdom (UK).

To do so, the University of Edinburgh requires to see original documents evidencing right to work in the UK before commencement of employment and this is normally carried out at interview. Details will be provided in any letter of invitation to interview.

For further information on eligibility to work visit http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/human-resources/recruitment/eligibility-immigration

This post meets UK Border Agency criteria for sponsorship by the University of Edinburgh. Even if you are not currently eligible to work in the UK, it may be possible for the University of Edinburgh to sponsor you to obtain a Tier 2 (General) visa to enable you to take up the appointment should you be successful at interview.

For applicants interested in sponsorship information is located at http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/human-resources/recruitment/eligibility-immigration/employees-guidance/working-in-uk

However, if you have previously been sponsored by an employer within the UK but your leave has expired or lapsed and you are no longer in the UK, according to UK Border Agency rules you can cannot apply for sponsorship under any category of Tier 2 for a period of 12 months after the date your leave has expired or lapsed.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Applicants may be made online at http://www.jobs.ed.ac.uk/. The application process is quick and easy to follow, and you will receive email confirmation of safe receipt of your application. The online system allows you to submit a c.v. In your application please include a covering letter which highlights, with evidence, how you meet all of the essential criteria and any of the desirable criteria you meet. Candidates will be short-listed and interviewed based on how they meet these criteria.

INFORMAL ENQUIRIES

Informal enquiries are welcome: please contact Professor Asif Usmani (+44 (0)131 6505789 or asif.usmani@ed.ac.uk) or Prof. Luke Bisby (+44 (0)131 6505710 or luke.bisby@ed.ac.uk).

The University reserves the right to vary the candidate information or make no appointment at all. Neither in part, nor in whole does this information form part of any contract between the University and any individual.

 

The School of Engineering

The integrated School of Engineering was formed in 2002 from the various individual departments to address diverse and complex challenges across the entire field of engineering, at the micro- and macroscopic/global scales. At the microscopic scale, its research supports the design and deployment of novel nanotechnology and devices for biological monitoring and medical diagnosis; at the macro/global scale, it optimises the security and sustainability of the built environment and develops engineering solutions to issues raised by climate change. The Vision of the School is the achievement of excellence across each of its five research areas, from the science and mathematics that underpin engineering research, to its industrial and commercial applications and four teaching disciplines, all accredited by the professional Engineering Institutes. Not only was the School ranked third (Research Fortnight Power Analysis) in General Engineering in the UK Research Assessment Exercise (2008), but it also has a strong track record in producing more than 50 technology spin-outs and developing industry links that enable our graduates to build relationships that last a whole career. In 2011/2012 the School was successful in achieving £28m research awards/income.
The School is one of the largest in the University, comprising over 150 staff and over 350 postgraduate, 140 MSc and 1,400 undergraduate students. The School occupies approximately 10,000 m2 in over ten buildings on the University’s King’s Buildings site in South Edinburgh.
http://www.eng.ed.ac.uk/drupal/
Each member of academic staff teaches in one of four engineering disciplines and is a member of a Research Institute:
Research Institutes
• Digital Communications 
• Energy Systems 
• Infrastructure and Environment
• Integrated Micro and Nano Systems 
• Materials and Processes 
Teaching disciplines
• Chemical Engineering
• Civil & Environmental Engineering
• Electrical Engineering & Electronics
• Mechanical Engineering
The School currently offers 43 degree programme titles including combined degrees with Computer Science, Management and Architecture. The School offers the four year BEng and five year MEng degree programmes, all accredited by the professional institutions, and 10 taught MSc degrees.
Facilities and Centres
UK Carbon Capture and Storage Research Centre is a virtual hub that brings together UK carbon capture and storage (CCS) researchers and acts as a two-way interface between the academic community and key stakeholders (e.g. government, industry and potential international collaborators). 
The Industrial Doctorate Centre in Offshore Renewable Energy will train 50 engineering doctorate students over nine years in all aspects of Offshore Renewable Energy. 
The UK All-Waters Combined Current and Wave Test Facility for wave and tidal devices will be operational by 2013 and will enhance the University’s leadership in low-carbon energy research.
The BRE Centre for Fire Safety Engineering hosts bespoke equipment to support research and consultancy with precisely controlled high temperatures and the latest image analysis techniques. 
The recently refurbished Structures Test Hall is our high-headroom lab for testing large and unusual assemblies. There are state-of-the-art lab facilities for developing and testing NDE and material handling technologies, a smart infrastructure lab and a good range of environmental engineering testing resources for the water and waste management sectors. 
The School of Engineering is a partner in SynthSys, the Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology which is an interdisciplinary research environment with members across many Research Institutes, Colleges and Schools, including The University of Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University and BioSS. It aims to pioneer genetic and chemical tools to manipulate the cell, technologies to quantify responses at the single-cell level, and mathematical models to predict and control cellular behaviour.

 

College of Science and Engineering (http://www.ed.ac.uk/science-engineering)

The College of Science and Engineering (CSE) is one of the largest and highest-ranked science and engineering groupings in the UK. Headed by Professor Lesley Yellowlees, CSE comprises seven Schools (Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Engineering, GeoSciences, Informatics, Mathematics, and Physics and Astronomy). Informatics is located in the University’s Central Area near George Square, with the other six 2 miles further south at the King’s Buildings. The College has over 2,700 academic and support staff, and educates some 6,000 undergraduates, 800 taught postgraduates and 1,500 research students. It is in the front rank of UK university science and engineering groupings for research quality and income (£130M in 2001/12), and is a key player in many European and international research collaborations.

Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2008 
In the 2008 RAE over 600 research active staff were returned. 96% of the College submission was of international quality in its originality, significance and rigour with 66% of the submission being rated internationally excellent.

 

The University of Edinburgh

For more than four centuries, our people and their achievements have rewritten history time and again. They’ve explored space, revolutionised surgery, published era-defining books, paved the way for life-saving medical breakthroughs and introduced to the world many inventions, discoveries and ideas from penicillin to Dolly the sheep. We have believed that anything is possible.

We still do. The latest Research Assessment Exercise highlighted our place at the forefront of international research. This adds to our international reputation for the quality of our teaching and our student experience excellence. 

As a member of staff you will be part of one of the world’s leading universities, with 22 Schools spread over 3 Colleges that offer more than 500 undergraduate and 160 postgraduate courses to over 30,000 students each year. Professional services are critical to this success as well as our world-class teaching, research and student facilities. In fact, we are one of the top employers in Edinburgh, with over 11,700 people spread across a wide range of academic and supporting roles. 

As a world-changing, world-leading university we are an exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work. We give you support, nurture your talent, develop and reward success and integrate academic, professional and personal career goals, as well as give your career the benefit of a great and distinguished reputation.
News

The 9th Asia-Oceania Symposium on Fire Science and Technology

by Michael Gollner

The 9th Asia-Oceania Symposium on Fire Science and Technology (AOSFST) was held in Hefei, China from October 17 to 20. This symposium is a premier fire safety science meeting in the Asia-Oceania region and has been organized since 1992.  This was the first time it was held on the China Mainland during the past 20 years.

The 9th AOSFST aimed to present and discuss the latest research results and related technology trends in Fire Science and Technology. The attendees of the symposium showed their latest research by presentations of papers in their field. The symposium also invited 14 lectures from the world’s top fire science researchers. The plenary speech was given by Dr. John L. de Ris from FM Global, USA. In addition to the technical sessions, several social activities provided opportunities for participants to meet with other colleagues and friends from around the world. The four-day symposium was a great platform to share new ideas and recent research findings in fire science and technology.

Fig 1: Opening Ceremony of the 9th AOSFST / SKLFS

Fig 2: Plenary speech by John L. de Ris from FM Global, USA/ SKLFS

During this symposium a Lifetime Contribution Award was instituted by the Asia-Oceania Association for Fire Science and Technology (AOAFST), to recognize the persons who have made outstanding contributions to the development of Fire Science and Technology. Prof. Toshisuke Hirano, first chairman of AOAFST during 1992-1995, and Prof. Weicheng Fan, chairman of AOAFST during 1995-2000, were awarded the first lifetime contribution awards of the AOAFST during this symposium.

Participants from both China and abroad were impressed by the fabulous organization of the conference. “This is probably one the best conferences that I have attended,” said Prof. Bogdan Dlugogorski, chairman of the International Association for Fire Safety Science (IAFSS). Many experts expressed their willingness to cooperate or expand their collaboration with the State Key Laboratory of Fire Science (SKLFS).

  Fig 3: Lifetime Contribution Award of AOAFST given to Prof. Weicheng Fan / SKLFS

Organized by AOAFST and hosted by SKLFS at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), this symposium gathered over 200 scholars and postgraduates from about 20 countries and regions. The authors of the nearly 130 papers accepted for publication in the symposium proceedings covered nearly 28 countries and regions. Topics of the Symposium included fire physics and chemistry; fire and smoke modeling; human-fire interactions; fire statistics and risk assessment; fire safety design and code; structure response to fire; fire properties and testing methods of materials; suppression, detection, and smoke management; urban, WUI, and forest fires. Some special topics including fire investigation, fire reconstruction, fire service needs, transportation fires, and industrial fires were also covered.

The Symposium, held every 2-3 years, is a premier fire safety science meeting in the Asia-Oceania region and has been organized since 1992. The two most recent symposiums were successfully held in Hong Kong and Australia in 2007 and 2010, respectively. The conference was organized by the Asia-Oceania Association for Fire Science and Technology (AOAFST) which is under the International Association for Fire Safety Science (IAFSS).

 You can view recorded videos of  invited talks from the 9th AOSFST at http://aosfst.csp.escience.cn/dct/page/65581. Please note these are best viewed with Microsoft Internet Explorer.