"An organization of a variety of useful references and tools for evaluating typical situations that have to be addressed in a performance based fire safety design are structured in this project. The chapters in this paper are arranged the same way as the situations may appear in fire scenarios. Each chapter discusses relevant issues for regulatory required sub evaluations in fire safety engineering. In this paper the sub evaluations are named; Fire spread within the origin, Barriers and fire spread beyond the origin, Fire detection and initial action, Automatic sprinkler systems, Smoke movement, control and toxicity, Structural frame, Fire brigade intervention and Life safety. The paper addresses standards and publications to evaluate fire safety in buildings. The tools and references presented are an assortment from a variety of methods and correlations that have been developed through the years in order to achieve knowledge of the dynamics of the fire and how to control its severity. The topics for the sub evaluations are codes and standards, design fire development, fire protection efficiencies in fires, reliability issues, building and construction characteristics, occupant characteristics, evaluation tools and evaluation software."

" The Navy Clothing and Textile Research Facility (NCTRF) has been conducting fabric research for many decades. This project is a joint effort in establishing new test methods for evaluating the thermal protection garments provide. As a result of this project a new full scale test facility was constructed and is now operational. In this facility, a new traversing manikin test has been developed and will hopefully become a recognized test standard in the future. The traversing manikin test is designed to work with current test methods but also to provide a more detailed evaluation of a garment. Incorporated into the facility is the ability to reconfigure the fire source to recreate design fires that resemble those likely to occur onboard naval ships. While the data gather thus far is limited, it is believed with future testing a large set of data will be available to allow a cross comparison of this test with established test methods. "

The vulnerability of electrical cables exposed to a fire environment is of particular concern to the nuclear power plant community. The community is interested in data that could be used for predicting cable failures during a fire situation. For this reason, a cable test program was conducted using two different types of cable insulation. Several different exposure heat fluxes were tested, as well as different test arrangements such as cable trays and conduits. The program revealed that a single failure temperature for all cable types is not recommended, but if it is necessary a reasonable temperature could be chosen for the thermosets tested in this project.

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 1982. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ENGINEERING / Vita. / Includes bibliographical references. / by Ronald James Salig. / M.S.

Gong, Yibo. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 99-108). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.ii / Acknowledgement --- p.v / Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Motivation and Objective --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Contributions --- p.4 / Chapter 1.2.1 --- Embedded fire detection platform --- p.4 / Chapter 1.2.2 --- Extended CAMSHIFT object detection frame work --- p.5 / Chapter 1.2.3 --- Cooperative multiple camera module --- p.8 / Chapter 1.2.4 --- Aerial maritime survivor detection system --- p.9 / Chapter 1.3 --- Organization of this thesis --- p.9 / Chapter 2 --- Background Study --- p.11 / Chapter 2.1 --- Embedded computer vision --- p.11 / Chapter 2.2 --- Visual Fire detection --- p.12 / Chapter 2.3 --- Color-based object detection and tracking --- p.15 / Chapter 2.4 --- Multiple-camera system cooperation --- p.16 / Chapter 2.5 --- Multiple-camera system calibration --- p.18 / Chapter 3 --- Overview of the embedded fire detection system --- p.22 / Chapter 3.1 --- Functional modules of the detection unit --- p.25 / Chapter 3.2 --- Dataflow within the detection unit --- p.28 / Chapter 4 --- Simulated annealing based MEAN SHIFT framework --- p.31 / Chapter 4.1 --- Simulated annealing framework --- p.33 / Chapter 4.2 --- Combination of simulated annealing with MEAN SHIFT --- p.37 / Chapter 5 --- Extended CAMSHIFT framework for fire detection --- p.42 / Chapter 5.1 --- Bidirectional color histogram training and backprojection --- p.43 / Chapter 5.2 --- Choice of properly sized fire window --- p.48 / Chapter 5.3 --- Alternative optimization based search window resizing --- p.49 / Chapter 5.4 --- Multiple modal particle filter based window size optimization --- p.53 / Chapter 5.4.1 --- Multiple modal particle filter --- p.53 / Chapter 5.4.2 --- Integration of the MMPF with CAMSHIFT framework --- p.57 / Chapter 5.5 --- fire monitoring --- p.63 / Chapter 6 --- The multiple camera module --- p.65 / Chapter 6.1 --- Calibration of the multi-camera system --- p.66 / Chapter 6.2 --- Region mapping and cooperation among the cameras --- p.69 / Chapter 7 --- Implementation and Experiments --- p.71 / Chapter 7.1 --- Implementation --- p.71 / Chapter 7.2 --- Experiments and performance evaluations --- p.74 / Chapter 7.2.1 --- Bidirectional histogram training and backprojection --- p.76 / Chapter 7.2.2 --- Performance of the hybrid Simulated annealing-Mean shift framework --- p.78 / Chapter 7.2.3 --- Alternative optimization based search window resizing for CAMSHIFT --- p.84 / Chapter 7.2.4 --- Multiple modal particle filter based search window resizing for CAMSHIFT --- p.87 / Chapter 7.2.5 --- Real-scenario test on the arm system --- p.94 / Chapter 7.2.6 --- Comparison of the two search window resizing mechanisms --- p.96 / Chapter 7.2.7 --- Accuracy of the multiple camera calibration method --- p.97 / Chapter 8 --- Extension to aerial maritime survivor search --- p.99 / Chapter 8.1 --- Introduction --- p.99 / Chapter 8.2 --- Implementation and experiment results --- p.102 / Chapter 9 --- Conclusion --- p.105 / Chapter 9.1 --- Contribution and summary of the work --- p.105 / Chapter 9.2 --- Future work --- p.107 / Bibliography --- p.109

published_or_final_version / Mechanical Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

High rise buildings are commonly found in Hong Kong. Neighbours are so close to one another that activity next door could bring disastrous effect to the whole building even if only minor malpractice is found in daily activities. There had been a number of fires with large number of casualties and deaths in the recent years. Fire safety management in buildings across Hong Kong has been one of the most discussed topics in the territory by the government, politicians and the general public. Investigations of those incidents revealed that there are common malpractices found in those buildings – ineffective means of escape routes, unauthorized alteration to building usage and structures and low awareness on fire safety management. The government did take remedial actions after each fire by imposing more requirements on fire services equipments and systems for types of buildings that had been burnt in previous fires. Furthermore, ad hoc fleet checks to buildings with similar characteristics as where the fires were had also been carried out to meet public concern right after blazes. Long term measures such as enactment of new laws, amendments to existing codes of practice on fire safety equipments and systems, strengthening execution of laws towards offenders, launch of promotional programmes by the Fire Services Department to raise public concern on fire safety awareness have been in effect aiming at lowering the figures on fire cases and hence loss in lives and properties. After series of actions taken, number of fire cases, casualties and deaths result from fire did not go down in the past few years. Building fire safety condition in two cities in South East Asia, Singapore and Tokyo, are taken for comparison with that of Hong Kong. It is discovered that there are merits from the two cities for our reference in order to get the safety levels of our buildings be raised. The two governments in Singapore and Tokyo take proactive approach on control and promotion of fire safety in buildings while our policies are passive ones. Besides, both Singaporean and Tokyo government plan their policies with focus on the weaknesses found that bring adverse effect to the key issue. In order to cultivate safe atmosphere for citizens in Hong Kong, the government is strongly recommended to adopt proactive approach that addresses the root cause of the issue. Compulsory appointment of independent Fire Safety Manager, adoption of total fire safety management concepts with focus on emergency planning and drills, incentive programmes to raise the public awareness on building fire safety are expected to strengthen the concepts of fire safety in the community. On the other hand, compulsory formation of owners’ corporations, legal review and amendments to current ordinance on building management in order to maintain equilibrium for management power among stakeholders, including building managers, of buildings and last but not least, putting legal liability on professional building managers for fire safety malpractices are suggested measures to address the root causes of the phenomena. / published_or_final_version / Housing Management / Master / Master of Housing Management

M. Tech. Architecture (Professional) / This dissertation encompasses the development of a new explorative centre for public fire safety education, within the inner city of Pretoria. This centre would serve as the new Northern Gauteng public hub of the Fire Protection Association of Southern Africa (FPASA) The proposal arises from the FPASA's current expansion needs. Their existing facility, based in Boksburg, is fast becoming too small and outdated to cater for the needs of the growing industry. This new facility will function as a public fire safety information hub, dealing with various fields of fire related protection and prevention training, for both private and public participants. This could serve to equip people with the knowledge and experience needed to more adequately protect themselves, their loved ones, as well as their personal belongings from damage or destruction by fire. The site selected for this scheme is situated within the currently dormant Museum Park District of the Pretoria central business district (CBD). The site, as well as its surrounding urban environment provides unique opportunities for the development of a new public-orientated fire safety education centre, which can focus on exposure in a pedestrian rich context. The FPASA's requirements, along with the site chosen for this new facility, provide unique opportunities for the development of a new active public typology within the city. The building should evoke curiosity as well as encourage explorative socio-educational behaviour. Through architectural form, public space, and didactically based educational programmes, this new public facility should attempt to reunite the individual with the built environment, while reaching out to expose the serious issue of fire safety education.

The majority of Eskom's 22kV lines use wood as the support structure material. The economics of wood pole cross arms and their flashover withstand capabilities outweigh those of steel cross arms. However, wood pole structures are vulnerable to what is known as a Pole Top Fire. When insulators and wood cross arms become polluted, small and sustained leakage currents flow along the surface of the insulator and thereafter into the wood itself. This eventually leads to burning of the wood. Many of the 22kV lines traverse vast rural lands, going over people's path ways. If this fire is not discovered timeously, it can cause breakage of the relevant cross arm or the pole itself. A broken cross arm usually causes the outer phase conductor to hang between one and two meters above ground. When it's dark, rural inhabitants cannot see clearly and walk directly into these low lying energized conductors which cause severe injuries and often fatalities. Low hanging conductors cannot be detected electrically and are potentially hazardous to humans and animals. Safety is currently one of the highest priorities for Eskom Distribution and hence there is a dire need to mitigate Pole Top Fires. The researcher hypothesizes that the implemented mitigating technique of bonding does not eliminate Pole Top Fires. In this study accurate statistics on Pole Top Fires in KwaZulu - Natal are provided and causes of fires investigated to provide an understanding thereof. Two basic mechanisms of burning have been identified and explained. These are surface tracking and sparking, and internal sparking. This has helped to explain what mitigation techniques will be effective. A critical analysis on the performance of recommended mitigation techniques is conducted. This study therefore aims to conclude on the effectiveness of implemented techniques to mitigate Pole Top Fires. By comprehensive and critical analysis of a complex operational and safety related problem technical options for mitigating or eliminating the fires are identified, critically analyzed and only those options that are really technically feasible are proposed. This has not been properly done in Eskom before. It is within this context that this research has been undertaken. / Thesis (M.Sc.Eng.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2007.

This creative project has explored the relationship between fire codes and adaptive reuse of historic commercial architecture. The goals of historic preservation and fire codes are at opposite ends of the spectrum. The goals of preservation are to save and reuse historic spaces and materials that are frequently in conflict with the fire codes. Fire codes seek to ensure the health, safety and property of the community by regulating the design and materials of buildings in the community. Many of the buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places were built before building codes were implemented. As a result, it is difficult to apply modern code standards to these buildings without destroying the spaces and elements that make them unique.Finding compromises that best satisfy the intent of the fire codes and the goals of historic preservation has been the objective of this creative project. Fire codes vary widely from model code to model code. This problem is compounded by the adoption of the codes: many municiplities choose to exercise the right of home rule and alter the model codes to the need of the comm. This has resulted in fire codes that vary widely from community to community. This creative project has, therefore, dealt with general issues which are most likely to arise in the adaptive reuse of historic commercial architecture.In addition, this creative project has used the W. A. McNaughton Department Store (Ball Stores) as the test building. The McNaughton building is scheduled for demolition in the spring of 1989. As a result of this creative project, the exterior and interior of the McNaughton building have been thoroughly documented. / Department of Architecture