Fire Science Show

CROSS UK is Collaborative Reporting for Safer Structures in UK. CROSS is a confidential reporting system which allows professionals working in the built environment to report on fire and structural safety issues. These are then published anonymously to share lessons learned, create positive change, and improve safety. Find out more about the safety information we provide below. This initiative in the space of fire safety is lead by Neil Gibbins and Peter Wilkinson, who are my guests today. We go through the ideas behind the institution and the reasons why we need it. We discuss the confidentiality and all the layers of protection of the reports, and the bias of the issues brought up. This includes the strict “no blame policy”. We also go in deep into some more interesting, representative reports published by cross (out of 99 published on fire so far!). Please join CROSS UK newsletter and check their repository here: https://www.cross-safety.org/uk ---- The Fire Science Show is produced by the Fire Science Media in collaboration with OFR Consultants. Thank you to the podcast sponsor for their continuous support towards our mission.

In this episode of the Fire Science Show we go in depth on the Building Integrated Photo-Voltaic systems (BIPV). It is a topic relevant to many fire engineers, and one on which it is very difficult to find a lot of information about. For this purpose I’ve invited Reidar Stølen from RISE and a PhD candidate at Norwegian University of Science and Technology – NTNU. Reidar has hands-on experience with fire testing BIPV façade, as he has performed such experiments with the Swedish test method for a commercial project. The results of the first experiments can be found in this research paper: Large- and small-scale fire test of a building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) façade system. We go in depth into description of the test sample, the rig and the outcomes of the experiment. Make sure to check the paper for the before and after pictures of the façade! Another paper worth highlighting is the investigation into the Factors Affecting the Fire Safety Design of Photovoltaic Installations Under Performance-Based Regulations in Norway. Related to this we have an in depth discussion on the factors that play role in PV fires, especially connectors as one of the main sources of the fire. ---- The Fire Science Show is produced by the Fire Science Media in collaboration with OFR Consultants. Thank you to the podcast sponsor for their continuous support towards our mission.

In this episode, we explore wildfire's impact on industrial fire safety with Professor Eulàlia Planas from Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya. Eulalia defines the term Wildland Industrial Interface (WII), a realm where the forces of nature clash with safety and process engineering. In the episode, we highlight that it is not just the exposure to the fire itself but also to the secondary effects - ember storms, firebrand accumulation, strong winds or power shutdowns that may cause significant damage. Also, even if the wildfires do not cause fires directly, they may damage auxiliary systems, creating unacceptable vulnerabilities in the plant. Finally, we discuss what is the challenge of shutting the plant down and evacuating it. In the episode, we will present the differences to traditional risk assessments when confronted with wildfire behaviour and investigate scenarios in which even the most robust chemical plants can succumb to the fire. Further reading includes: - Fires at the wildland-industrial interface. Is there an emerging problem? - Asset Integrity in the Case of Wildfires at Wildland-Industrial Interfaces - Vulnerability of industrial storage tanks to wildfire: A case study - Analysis of the impact of wildla ---- The Fire Science Show is produced by the Fire Science Media in collaboration with OFR Consultants. Thank you to the podcast sponsor for their continuous support towards our mission.

Depression and anxiety are on the rise in both academia and engineering consultancies. Everyone is constantly stressed and pushed to their limits. The system is built this way... And imagine that on top of the inadequate mental health related to the stressful environment, you also struggle with a mental illness. A health condition you did not choose, you may or may not be aware of, and may or may not be treating... Now, add trying to build a family and advance the most challenging part of the academic ladder. All of these are elements of the story of today's guest - Professor Ann Jeffers of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Ann is a colleague from our fire community and an expert in structural fire engineering. Well-published Author and co-editor of Fire Safety Journal, with plenty of scientific achievements. She is also living with bipolar disorder. She was diagnosed with the illnesses around the time she was trying to advance to tenure and chose to battle alone without disclosing it to the community or her University, as it could have impacted her career... What a tough choice to make. Today, Ann is in a different place. She is well, and received support from both community and her uni. She chose to share her story through the book "Can you hear the music?". (Available here and on Amazon). Today she is a mental health advocate, reaching out to others who may be in a difficult position, as she were. When I saw her talk at the IAFSS conference, I knew that I have to share this with my audience. In this episode, we share Ann's story and general aspects of high-stakes environment in academia. We discuss the ripple effect of traumatic events and emphasize the importance of compassionate academic evaluations that consider the full spectrum of an individual's experience. From the balancing act of managing a career and mental well-being, to the significance of prioritizing sleep and setting boundaries, this dialogue is a guidepost for those striving for success without sacrificing their health. Ann's transformation into a mental health advocate marks a pivotal moment in her journey and serves as a beacon for others navigating similar paths. Join us as we bring light to these critical conversations, trying to make mental health a part of fire scientists' and engineers' priorities. Watch Ann's videos telling her story in greater detail: Can you hear the music - book introductionAuthor event---- The Fire Science Show is produced by the Fire Science Media in collaboration with OFR Consultants. Thank you to the podcast sponsor for their continuous support towards our mission.

In this episode, we discuss the stark realities of fire safety engineering in South Africa (and beyond) as we sit down with Professor Richard Walls from Stellenbosch University. Our journey through the recent history of devastating fires, from truck blasts to the fire that took down the SA Parliament building, lays bare the critical gaps in resources, awareness and education that have catastrophic consequences. Professor Walls's expertise guides us through the complexities of local building codes and the vital role of education in fostering fire safety competency in the country. We dissect the shortcomings of current regulations and the promising strides made with introducing a master's degree program in fire engineering. Together, we unravel the intricate web of performance-based design and the imperative for a raised consciousness about fire safety in the building industry – a clarion call for vigilance that echoes far beyond South African borders. We also try to form a broader perspective, examining how catastrophic events shape the future of fire engineering and the transformative lessons they impart. We also cast an eye toward the advancements in solar energy technology and the associated challenges it brings. Through this episode, we aim to try to support a conversation on the indispensable role of fire safety engineering in protecting communities across the globe. This episode follows the unique DEI session at the IAFSS Conference in 2023. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the organizing committee for putting up such a fantastic session! ---- The Fire Science Show is produced by the Fire Science Media in collaboration with OFR Consultants. Thank you to the podcast sponsor for their continuous support towards our mission.

Imagine if we had a tool that we could use to design a design fire. Instead of simply assuming fire growth characteristics by slapping the alpha-t2 function, use a tool that could tell us which items in a compartment burn and what the characteristics of that fire are. I would say this dream is shared among many fire safety engineers - I think we can all agree that we could use such a tool. Today's guest, Dr Greg Baker, has shared this dream and built a tool like this within his PhD at the University of Canterbury. The skeleton was a zone model, and the tool developed has played with it well. Actually, feel free to try it out in here. In the episode, we talk about how Greg built up this tool and how it decides on the growth, plateau and decay of the fire. We also discuss how such a tool may be critical in a probabilistic approach to fire safety engineering and general performance-based design. Who knows, perhaps in the near future, such an approach will also help us run our CFDs. If you enjoyed this, you perhaps would like to read more: Benchmarking the Single Item Ignition Prediction Capability of B-RISK Using Furniture Calorimeter and Room-Size ExperimentsIgnition of secondary objects in a design fire simulationDeveloping probabilistic design fires for performance-based fire safety engineeringAnd a bonus: Ranking the Level of Openness in Blind Compartment Fire Modelling Studies---- The Fire Science Show is produced by the Fire Science Media in collaboration with OFR Consultants. Thank you to the podcast sponsor for their continuous support towards our mission.

In today's fire fundamentals episode, I have chosen a difficult job: explaining how CFD modelling works without the ability to put a single equation out there! It's much tougher than I thought! I hope I've done a decent job, though. I am trying to fill out this niche of talking about CFD at an approachable level. I've noticed there is a ton of 'introductory' level resources about modeling. Still, they usually very quickly go into mathematical formulations instead of explaining in plain language what is the purpose of specific models or modelling approaches. In this episode, you will learn about: - what is Computational Fluid Dynamics modelling; - what is the role of conservation laws of mass, energy and momentum; - what is turbulence, and why it impact our calculation so much; - what are the common families of turbulence models (RANS and LES), and how do they differ from each other; - what are sensitivity studies, and how does one choose an appropriate mesh for their problem? If I had one book to recommend, it would be this book by Bart Merci and Tarek Beji. If I had one paper to recommend, it would be this paper by Kevin McGrattan (open access). Fire Science Show is produced in collaboration with OFR Consultants. Thank you for your ongoing support, that allows me to create content like this! ---- The Fire Science Show is produced by the Fire Science Media in collaboration with OFR Consultants. Thank you to the podcast sponsor for their continuous support towards our mission.

If the word 'uncertainty' sounds extremely boring to you, this episode will prove you wrong. I have invited David Morrisset from the University of Edinburgh to discuss his research on the subject. Whereas in fact David is establishing standard deviations, means and other statistical means of quantifying uncertainty in core fire measurements, the really impactful and important part of his research is on explaining WHY those uncertainties are there. Through physical explanation of processes happening in fire we may grasp a really good understanding why two HRR-time curves of the same object burned in the same lab, in the same way may be so vastly different. These findings are fundamental for practical fire engineering. The establishment of design fires and their relation to the experiments is discussed in depth. We also talk about how we could establish better design fires for future engineering practice. Some excellent further reading: Repeat Fire Tests of Upholstered Furniture: Variability and Experimental ObservationsStatistical uncertainty in bench-scale flammability tests ---- The Fire Science Show is produced by the Fire Science Media in collaboration with OFR Consultants. Thank you to the podcast sponsor for their continuous support towards our mission.

This week, I am meeting up with Imperial Hazelab's Harry Mitchell, who is finalizing his PhD thesis on mass timber fires and, quite uniquely - including the smouldering phenomena in those fires. As a part of Code Red experiments run by Arup, Imperial College London and Cerib (which you can learn more about from episode 111 with Panos Kotsovinos) Harry has performed observations of formation, growth and decay of smouldering "hot spots" for up to 2 days after the fire. Based on that, conclusions were formed on the occurrence and persistence of the smouldering in large, open-plan mass timber compartments. This is precisely what we cover in this podcast episode - what is the smouldering fire of timber? Where can we expect it to happen? What are the potential consequences to the structure and people who need to enter it (firefighters and investigators?) If you would like to learn more, please follow to these resources: Structural hazards of smouldering fires in timber buildingsFlame spread characteristics in large compartments with an exposed timber ceilingReview of fire experiments in mass timber compartments: Current understanding, limitations, and research gapsFire dynamics inside a large and open-plan compartment with exposed timber ceiling and columns: CodeRed #01Impact of ventilation on the fire dynamics of an open-plan compartment with exposed timber ceiling and columns: CodeRed #02The Effectiveness of a Water Mist System in an Open-plan Compartment with an Exposed Timber Ceiling: CodeRed #03And other mass timber experiments covered in the Fire Science Show. Fire Science Show is produced in partnership with OFR Consultants. ---- The Fire Science Show is produced by the Fire Science Media in collaboration with OFR Consultants. Thank you to the podcast sponsor for their continuous support towards our mission.

Tests in the world of reaction to fire are supposed to be representations of real fire scenarios, allowing us to grasp the characteristics of building products against them. While for the worst scenario (flashover fire) or the smallest ignition source (small flame), the definition is pretty straightforward. However, creating the intermediate method that the entire Europe would agree on was a bumpy ride. Our latest episode is a treasure trove of knowledge detailing the birth and maturation of the Single Burning Item (SBI, EN 13823 ) test standard. With the CEN SBI group Convenor - Rudolf van Mierlo, we discuss the history and background of the standard, the background for some not-so-easy technical decisions and perhaps even tougher political ones. In a project of this magnitude, everything matters - how do you ensure the method is reproducible and repeatable? How do you convey the exact amount of information in the technical standard? Will one of the measures eventually be the one that defines the final classification, and what does the classification reflect? Towards the end of the episode, we try to put those lessons from the creation and implementation of SBI into brainstorming a pathway for a new intermediate test we really need. An intermediate testing method for facades, as an effort for the Dutch government and a likely update to the existing ISO standard. Link to the conference we have discussed: https://dgmr.nl/en/sign-up-for-dgmr-conference-fire-safety-in-an-sustainable-future/ Reading material: - The Rise of Euroclass by Angus Law et al. - a more detailed description of the politics behind the standard - The Single Burning Item (SBI) Test Method - A Decade of Development and Plans for the Near Future by Rudolf van Mierlo and Bart Sette - KRESNIK: A top-down, statistical approach to understand the fire performance of building facades using standard test data by Matt Bonner et al. - a more detailed description of how the Polish method handles different facades Also, if you enjoyed this episode, you will like this one too: https://www.firescienceshow.com/089-designing-law-by-disasters-or-not-with-birgitte-messerschmidt/ Cover image - Effectis press release on changes to the SBI standard in 2020 - also a valuable source to see how the standard is evolving. ---- The Fire Science Show is produced by the Fire Science Media in collaboration with OFR Consultants. Thank you to the podcast sponsor for their continuous support towards our mission.

I've finished my first large research grant! I guess that makes me a 'real' scientist now. Came here today to share some most interesting aspects of this project with you. Not going to bore you all about the wind and fire interaction physics (hey, there is an entire episode 50 devoted to that!), but rather talk about challenges and stuff that perhaps will matter if you would like to engineer a case similar to one we have studied. So in this podcast episode, we will go into: Wind and Fire Coupled Modelling part 1 - Literature ReviewWind and Fire Coupled Modelling part 2 - Best Practice Guidelines135 - Contemplating a design fire for car parksThe promised webinars will be uploaded soon, and you will find the link here. Badania przedstawione w odcinku podcastu przeprowadzono w projekcie realizowanym an podstawie umowy UMO-2020/37/B/ST8/03839 do projektu badawczego nr 2020/37/B/ST8/03839 pt. Skutki oddziaływania wiatru na pożary budynków w wieloparametrycznej ocenie ryzyka z wykorzystaniem metod numerycznych. Grafika autorstwa P. Jamińska-Gadomska (ITB) oraz P. Prusiński (NCBJ) w ramach współracy pomiedzy ITB a NCBJ w projekcie EuroCC (No 951732) ---- The Fire Science Show is produced by the Fire Science Media in collaboration with OFR Consultants. Thank you to the podcast sponsor for their continuous support towards our mission.

It is interesting to see changes in our profession that happen directly in front of our lives. Climate change and in consequence the changes in the wildfire patterns are one such obvious shift. In Poland, we do not ever have a ‘wildfire’ season, and I was kind of surprised when I discovered this is a thing in the South or in other parts of the world. Unfortunately, we do not have it *yet*. Some years ago devastating wildfire season happened in Sweden. There has been an emergency in northern parts of Russia as well. The summers are more dry – I thought that this is the driver of challenge, however, as with almost everything in fire science, the answer is more complicated. I have invited Nieves Fernandez-Anez from Western Norway University of Applied Sciences to discuss what is the ‘north’ doing to get ready for the coming threat. Nieves told me we do not need to reinvent the wheel – a lot of solutions, methods, approaches and policies do already exist. However, the wheel has also not been tested on all roads… Some things that can work in Spain or Greece won’t ever be feasible in the Scandinavia. Cultural and societal differences must be understood and accounted for when transposing solutions. The same comes to our models – they need to account for local vegetation, and its growth patterns. A challenge in itself, as we need a rapid increase in the amount and quality of information we have at hand. I was a bit naïve coming to the episode, and the issue seems significantly more complicated. This is obviously an issue that a single researcher won’t handle. But here, another reason why I have invited Nieves. She is one of researchers who really get a lot out of collaborations in the COST network. Previously in COST Action Fire Links and now in the COST action on extreme wildfires. These networks connect scientists from different backgrounds and different regions, to create a thriving environment for knowledge exchange and crafting new ideas that respond to the new problems. If you would like to learn more about changes in wildfires in Europe, refer to this paper. COST Action Fire Links COST Action european Network on Extreme fiRe behaviOr (NERO) (just started and open!) Cover image - picture of wildfires near Ljusdal in Sweden, 2018, NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin and Joshua Stevens, using MODIS data from LANCE/EOSDIS Rapid Response and the Level 1; after Wikipedia: https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Po%C5%BCary_las%C3%B3w_w_Szwecji_(2018) ---- The Fire Science Show is produced by the Fire Science Media in collaboration with OFR Consultants. Thank you to the podcast sponsor for their continuous support towards our mission.

This episode of the Fire Science Show welcomes once again Adam Barowy from the Fire Safety Research Institute to shed light on the pressing issue of fire hazards in electric mobility devices. In this episode, we give a follow-up to ep. 085 with Adam, which was published one year ago. One year in the world of e-mobility is a lot of time, so we have a lot of catching up to do! We tackle the complexities of standardizing explosion protection for large-scale energy storage and the implications of toxic smoke on human health. We delve into real-world case studies that underscore the urgency of our quest for safer battery usage and regulation. We also discuss the aftermath of an electric scooter fire on the Toronto subway, unravelling the potential danger these incidents pose in congested spaces and the evolving role of safety standards and research in keeping our communities safe. As we also discuss the role of certifications like UL 2272 and the promise of new standards such as UL 1487, join us in this episode to equip yourself with the knowledge to navigate an electrified world responsibly. I promised Adam to plug in the https://batteryfiresafety.org/ - a public campaign focused on spreading knowledge in the safe use of batteries. Photo credit - a still frame from FSRI excellent video at https://batteryfiresafety.org/ ---- The Fire Science Show is produced by the Fire Science Media in collaboration with OFR Consultants. Thank you to the podcast sponsor for their continuous support towards our mission.

In this episode of Fire Fundamentals, we dive into the life-saving choreography of fire detection and building automation systems that must work together in case of a fire. We discuss the roles and challenges related to: We also discuss the sources of potential delays in device operation, and how some of those are consciously built into the system as a means for false alarm mitigation. ---- The Fire Science Show is produced by the Fire Science Media in collaboration with OFR Consultants. Thank you to the podcast sponsor for their continuous support towards our mission.

In episode 48, my guest Mike Spearpoint said that in mid '90s, he participated in experiments on vehicle fires, as at that time, there were doubts if the design fires of that time (developed in the '80s) were representative of modern cars. Fast forward 30 years ahead, and we seem to be in a very similar situation. We have limited knowledge on vehicle fires, most coming from very old studies that have used even older vehicles... And we have a fleet that consists of larger vehicles, gravitating to alternative fuels and batteries. We urgently need a new design fire, and in my opinion not just that - we need a new design fire paradigm for the car parks. In this episode, I'm explaining the struggles we had choosing a design fire for our NCN OPUS grant on the multiparametric study of fire risk in wind conditions financed by the National Centre of Science in Poland. We have went through the literature, and looked through all of the available data, to figure out some data points we could implement in our studies. In the episode, I will share those data points (and you may refer to a paper which I will link as soon as it is published), but also cover my ideas related to: The design fire is not a representation of a real fire. It is a test scenario that allows us to carry useful engineering judgement. This episode is all about this idea, and how I am making sure that my current assumptions reflect the changes in the modern car fleet. Enjoy! Some additional resources: Mohd Tohir's PhD thesisOur paper from 201Badania przedstawione w odcinku podcastu przeprowadzono w projekcie realizowanym an podstawie umowy UMO-2020/37/B/ST8/03839 do projektu badawczego nr 2020/37/B/ST8/03839 pt. Skutki oddziaływania wiatru na pożary budynków w wieloparametrycznej ocenie ryzyka z wykorzystaniem metod numerycznych. ---- The Fire Science Show is produced by the Fire Science Media in collaboration with OFR Consultants. Thank you to the podcast sponsor for their continuous support towards our mission.

It's time to learn about "the evacuation equation" from one of its creators. This week I interview prof. David Purser about the elements that go into the evacuation process that help us determine the fire safety of buildings. We go through the components of the Required Safe Evacuation Time (RSET) one by one: We discuss how those were initially defined, what the assumptions behind establishing them as a part of the framework were, and what engineering scenarios they responded to. Prof. Purser explains the similarity behind the "human behaviour scenario" and the "design fire scenario" as both being inaccurate descriptions of the real world but valuable for design. We also discuss cases in which those simple assumptions perhaps did not hold, such as the complex case of the Grenfell Tower evacuation. We confront the harrowing reality of communication breakdowns and delayed responses, dissecting how they can dramatically alter the outcome of an emergency. This highlights that the methodology is not "ultimate" and it is up to the engineer to understand the complexities of the process and the weak aspects of it. The method described in this episode forms the core of PD 7974-6:2019 Application of fire safety engineering principles to the design of buildings - Human factors. Life safety strategies. Occupant evacuation, behaviour and condition (Sub-system 6). The method has been implemented in many local codes throughout the world and can today be considered a standard approach in the fire-safe design of buildings. In the episode, prof Purser mentioned "new data" on pre-evacuation time. In his IAFSS lecture, he mentioned some sources, including this paper by Lovreglio et al. Cover image based on a figure presented in paper 10.3390/buildings13123038 ---- The Fire Science Show is produced by the Fire Science Media in collaboration with OFR Consultants. Thank you to the podcast sponsor for their continuous support towards our mission.

As we close the curtains on 2023, take a walk with me through the unforgettable milestones that have shaped the Fire Science Show. This isn't just a recap; it's a treasure trove of insights and a roadmap to the innovations just over the horizon. We've come so far together, with download numbers soaring and our influence deepening within the fire science community. My gratitude overflows for the steady support from OFR Consultants in 2023, and the future looks very bright with this collaboration continuing into 2024. I wish you a great 2024! Oh. The three big things. The two of them, you can access right now. Reach the Book of Fire (newsletter signup) Access the Fire Science Show community at Circle (and reach the Book of Fire there directly!) And the third one, investigation fire science specials, you will be able to enjoy around Q2 2024! ---- The Fire Science Show is produced by the Fire Science Media in collaboration with OFR Consultants. Thank you to the podcast sponsor for their continuous support towards our mission.

Welcome aboard a journey through the challenges of managing electric vehicle fires at sea with Elena Funk of DBI and Magnus Arvidson from RISE. In this podcast episode, we discuss two large projects devoted to understanding how we can mitigate, suppress and manage EV fires - project Elbas at DBI and project Lash Fire at RISE. Even though the aim of those were ferries and ro-ro ships, the findings are very important and relevant for civil infrastructure like car parks or tunnels. In the episode, we discuss following technologies: - fire blankets - punctuating and injection devices - water curtains - low pressure water mist - drenched systems. As you can see, we cover a large group of technical solutions used to mitigate and suppress fires. In the episode, you will learn about the challenges related to each of them. We also go into general observations done during the test, also related to the growth and reignition of the fires. If you would like to learn more, you need to go to the project websites: ELBAS project at DBI Lashfire project at RISE If you want to find Elena's webinar, you can do it here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ms-hansen_firesafety-evparkinggarages-webinar-activity-7134936860115525632-mETf And also, Elena told me after the recording: One important aspect of fire extinguishment I did not mention on the podcast yesterday is water toxicity after extinguishment. RISE, Jonna and colleagues have shown that when the water is applied directly on the battery you get increase in release of certain elements (e.g. PFAS). https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.2c08581 I think this is a very important observation, and I need to an entire episode on that. Cover photo credit: DBI project ELBAS, DBI-ELBAS-FIXFU21008 ---- The Fire Science Show is produced by the Fire Science Media in collaboration with OFR Consultants. Thank you to the podcast sponsor for their continuous support towards our mission.

This is an important episode. Our guest for today, UK fire engineer Mary Button, who uses a wheelchair herself, shares some of her own stories and feelings describing the reality for many disabled individuals. Drawing from her own experiences, Mary shares invaluable insights into the cognitive complexities individuals with mobility issues face, physical barriers, and psychological burdens related to the fire evacuation process. But most importantly, I think we touch on the essence here of how the building features disable people and how a shift in your mindset can help you design a more human-friendly (in consequence, people with disability-friendly) environment. As we venture deeper into this enlightening conversation, we uncover the role of accessible building design in fire safety. Learn how technical aspects such as ramps, door widths, and pressurization systems can make a difference in ensuring safe evacuation. We also question the reliance on evacuation lifts and trained personnel, emphasizing the need for more independent and equal access solutions. By the end of this episode, you’ll have a broader understanding of the importance of inclusive fire safety planning and strategies and the need for greater awareness and empathy towards individuals with disabilities. Mary was also very kind to send me some materials. Here they are with her short comment: The post below discusses why giving a number of potentially disabled people in the population is complicated but also provides a figure from the WHO. I've also linked to the UK government report, which links to statistics on disability prevalence by type in the UK population. Hopefully, these are useful starting points. I've also linked to Erik's Egress Enabler Tool and the accompanying paper. https://www.disabilitydebrief.org/debrief/how-many-disabled-people/https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/family-resources-survey-financial-year-2021-to-2022https://zenodo.org/records/7075501#.Y5x-9OzP0bmhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36372652/---- The Fire Science Show is produced by the Fire Science Media in collaboration with OFR Consultants. Thank you to the podcast sponsor for their continuous support towards our mission.

In this part 8 of Experiments that changed fire science series we revisit Cardington (previously covered in part 2 - https://www.firescienceshow.com/078-experiments-that-changed-fire-science-pt-2-bre-cardington-with-tom-lennon/), but this time from the perspective of modeling the structure. My guest prof. Asif Usmani of the HK PolyU takes us on how simplifying the model led them to some fundamental discoveries on the thermo-mechanical response of structures to fires. We discuss material properties and perhaps their overestimated role in structural modelling. We go into membrane actions and the role of restraints in shaping the response of beams and slabs to thermal loads. And Asif explains to me what this means at a scale of a building frame. Some truly remarkable insights - things that today are perhaps obvious to any structural engineer, but at that time were an unknown fire behaviour. Here are some links to the papers related to today's episode: Cardington https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0379711201000376 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0143974X01000049 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0379711204000116 WTC https://era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/1562 OpenSees https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10694-021-01184-0 https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Xu-Dai-4/publication/283796522_OpenSees-based_integrated_tool_for_modelling_structures_in_fire/links/5647a6b108ae451880ac4f18/OpenSees-based-integrated-tool-for-modelling-structures-in-fire.pdf Picture credit: British Steel, after "Newman G, Robinson JT and Bailey CG, Fire safe design: A new approach to multi-storey steel-framed buildings, The Steel Construction Institute, Berkshire, 2006" Accessed through: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303531122_Shear_panel_component_in_the_vicinity_of_beam-column_connections_in_fire [accessed Dec 06 2023]. ---- The Fire Science Show is produced by the Fire Science Media in collaboration with OFR Consultants. Thank you to the podcast sponsor for their continuous support towards our mission.