Fire Performance Analysis for Buildings

Robert W. Fitzgerald, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, USA Brian J. Meacham, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, USA

Preface xxiii Acknowledgements xxv 1 Fire Performance and Buildings 1 1.1 The Dynamics of Building Fire Performance 1 1.2 The Anatomy of Building Fire Safety 1 Part I The Foundation 7 2 Preliminary Organization 9 2.1 Introduction 9 2.2 Overview of Evaluations 9 Part One: Organizational Concepts 12 2.3 The Diagnostic Fire 12 2.4 Anatomy of a Representative Fire 12 Part Two: Barriers, Spaces, and Connectivity 15 2.7 Spaces and Barriers 15 2.8 Barriers and Fire 15 Part Three: Fire Defenses 23 2.14 Fire Defenses 23 2.15 Active Fire Defenses 24 2.17 Closure 30 3 Tools of Analysis 31 3.1 Introduction 31 Part One: The Logic 32 3.2 The Framework Logic 32 3.3 The Major Parts 32 Part Two: Space-Barrier Connectivity 51 3.14 Introduction 51 3.15 Room Connectivity 51 Part Three: Additional Tools 55 3.19 Networks and Charts 55 3.20 Organizational Charts 55 4 An Introduction to the Interactive Performance Information Chart 59 4.1 Introduction 59 4.2 The Basic Template 59 5 Quantification 73 5.1 Performance Evaluations 73 5.2 Information Accessibility 74 Part II The Parts 79 6 The Room Fire 81 6.1 Introduction 81 Part One: Room Fire Concepts 82 6.2 Fire 82 6.3 The Role of Heat: Ignition 82 Part Two: Room Fire Descriptors 94 6.17 Introduction 94 6.18 Fuels 94 7 The Room Fire: Qualitative Analysis 119 7.1 The Role of Qualitative Analysis 119 7.2 Qualitative Estimates for Room Fires 120 Part One: Bottom-up Estimates 121 7.3 Bottom-up Scenario Estimates 121 7.3.1 Realm 1: FFS to IG 121 Part Two: Top-down Estimates 133 7.7 Qualitative Room Classifications 133 7.8 FGP Comparisons 133 8 Beyond the Room of Origin 147 8.1 Introduction 147 8.2 The Inspection Plan 147 Part One: Barrier Effectiveness 149 8.3 Barrier Functions in Buildings 149 8.4 Barrier Fire Functions 149 Part Two: Barrier-Space Modules 159 8.8 Introduction 159 8.9 Barrier-Space Modules 159 Part Three: Qualitative Fire Analysis 165 8.17 Introduction 165 8.18 The Process 165 9 Smoke Analysis 175 9.1 Introduction 175 9.2 The Plan 176 10 The Diagnostic Fire 191 10.1 Diagnostic Fires 191 10.2 Interactive Performance Information (IPI) Chart and the Diagnostic Fire 191 10.3 Closure 192 11 Fire Detection 193 11.1 Introduction 193 Part One: Automatic Detection 194 11.2 Instrument Detection 194 11.3 Detection Instruments 194 Part Two: Human Detection 200 11.6 Concepts in Human Fire Detection 200 11.7 Human Detection Analysis 200 11.8 Closure 202 12 Alarm: Actions After Detection 203 12.1 Introduction 203 Part One: Alert Occupants 205 12.2 Focus on Alert 205 12.3 Alerting Occupants 205 Part Two: Notify Local Fire Department 209 12.5 Introduction 209 12.6 Human Notification (MN) 209 12.7 Discussion 212 12.8 Automated Notification Services 213 12.9 Discussion 216 Part Three: Building System Interfaces 217 12.10 Release Services 217 13 Fire Department Extinguishment: Arrival 219 13.1 Introduction 219 13.2 Organizing the Topic 219 Part One: Manual Extinguishment Overview 221 13.3 The Role of the Fire Department 221 13.4 Building Analysis Overview 221 13.5 Part A: Ignition to Notification 223 Part Two: Community Fire Departments 226 13.8 Fire Department Organizations 226 13.9 Fire Companies 226 Part Three: Community Fire Response 231 13.11 Fire Department Response Time 231 13.12 Communications Centers 231 14 Fire Department Extinguishment: First Water (MA) 237 The Fire Fighter and the Engineer 237 14.1 Introduction 239 Part One: An Overview of Manual Extinguishment Analysis 241 14.2 The Process 241 14.3 Phase 1: Initial Water Application (MA) 242 14.4 Su