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Performance-Based Fire Safety Design Guide

The document introduces the concept of performance-based fire safety design and discusses its key elements. Performance-based design uses goals and assessments of fire hazards, risks, and consequences to evaluate design options. It involves defining performance criteria and fire scenarios to evaluate trial designs. The appropriate design both meets the performance criteria and balances factors like life safety goals, cost, aesthetics and feasibility. Performance-based design is an alternative to prescriptive code that accounts for project-specific needs through a risk-informed approach.

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Ingénieur Électrique
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10 views5 pages

Performance-Based Fire Safety Design Guide

The document introduces the concept of performance-based fire safety design and discusses its key elements. Performance-based design uses goals and assessments of fire hazards, risks, and consequences to evaluate design options. It involves defining performance criteria and fire scenarios to evaluate trial designs. The appropriate design both meets the performance criteria and balances factors like life safety goals, cost, aesthetics and feasibility. Performance-based design is an alternative to prescriptive code that accounts for project-specific needs through a risk-informed approach.

Uploaded by

Ingénieur Électrique
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

11/23/2015

Department of Fire Protection Engineering

Performance-Based Approach
to Fire Safety Design

A. JAMES CLARK SCHOOL of ENGINEERING ● UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND

• Introduce Concept
• Discuss Elements
– Goals
– Assessments
– Designs
• Example Applications
• Choosing Appropriate Design

• Evaluation of Hazard or Risk based on defined  
goals
• Scenario specific
– Fires
– Building
– Occupants
• Hazard‐Consequences
• Risk‐Consequences X Probability

1
11/23/2015

Define Project Scope

Identify Goals

Define Objectives
Develop  
Performance Criteria
Develop Design
Fire Scenarios
Develop Trial Design(s)

Evaluate Trial Design(s)

Modify Design or   Design Meets  


Objectives Criteria

Select Final Design
Ref: SFPE PBD Guide
Prepare
Documentation

Code‐Based   Fire Hazard/Risk  


Evaluation Assessment

Fire Safety Design

• Based on Fire Risk/Hazard Assessment  
Evaluation
• Evaluates specific building or structure

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11/23/2015

• Prescriptive code not feasible
• Based on system performance
• Addresses project specific needs

Life Safety:
• Protect occupants not intimate with fire for time needed to evacuate

Building Structure:
• Minimize damage to major structural elements

Building Appearance:
• Minimize impact of strategies on architectural features and openness of  
galleries

Facility Operations:
• Minimize undue loss of operations due to fire
• Prevent damage from fire to critical equipment

• Performance Criteria: Maintain visibility of >10 m

• CO / COHb
• Temperature
• Structural Integrity

Egress Time + Safety Factor < Time to
Hazardous Conditions

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• Quantify fire into engineering terms
– Example ‐ typical office fire
– 8,000 kW, fast‐growth rate fire, 15‐minutes
• Range of fire scenarios for different areas
Office F i re 1 - Heat Rel ease Rate

9000

8000

7000

6000 Office Fire


5000 Slow
HRR
(kW)

4000 Medium
Fast
3000

2000
1000

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

T i m e (m inutes)

HIGH

MODERATE
Probability
Probability
LOW

Consequence
Consequence

RISK = HAZARD x PROBABILITY

f < 10‐6 10‐6< f <10‐4 10‐4< f <10‐2 f > 10‐2


• Apply to each fire scenario
(>10,000 yr) (>100 yr)
(>1,000,000 yr) (<100 yr)
• Determine relative fire risk
• Evaluate for Trial Designs

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11/23/2015

Options That Cost


Meet Goals
Vs. Aesthetics
Options That Meet Feasibility
Most of the Goals

• Performance‐Based Design
– Different than prescriptive approach
– Use Fire Risk/Hazard Assessment Evaluation
– Numerous factors influence ultimate design

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