Thesis (M. App. Sc.)--Carleton University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 322-325). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (M.E.F.E.)--University of Canterbury, 2007. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (p. 136-143). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.S.)--Mississippi State University. Department of Geosciences. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.) -- Mississippi State University. Department of Geosciences. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Due to the tragedy that occurred in the city of Santa Maria, the fire of the nightclub Kiss, emerged in the state of Rio Grande do Sul the need for a more current, more rigid and more effective legislation for prevention and fire protection. This paper aims to identify the index of fire safety in buildings of an institution of higher education that are in accordance with current legislation prevention and fire protection in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The method the risk assessment of fire used this study is the method Gretener. The technique that will be used in this exploratory research is the case study, applied to buildings of an institution of higher education with Plan for the Prevention and Protection against fires (PPCI) developed under state law and distinct classifications as the occupation. The findings indicated that all buildings analyzed present an acceptable fire safety index according to the Gretener method and does not require any intervention on the safety measures against fire. Therefore the state law stick with your goal is, among others, establish a set of effective measures of prevention and fire protection for buildings. / Em decorrência da tragédia ocorrida na cidade de Santa Maria, o incêndio da boate Kiss, surgiu no estado do Rio Grande do Sul a necessidade de uma legislação mais atual, mais rígida e mais efetiva em relação a prevenção e proteção contra incêndio. O presente trabalho propõe identificar o índice de segurança contra incêndio de edificações de uma instituição de ensino superior que estão em conformidade com a atual legislação estadual de prevenção e proteção contra incêndio do estado do Rio Grande do Sul. O método de avaliação do risco de incêndio utilizado neste estudo é o Método de Gretener. A técnica utilizada nesta pesquisa exploratória é o estudo de caso, aplicado em prédios de uma instituição de ensino superior com Plano de Prevenção e Proteção Contra Incêndio (PPCI) elaborados conforme a legislação estadual e com classificações distintas quanto a ocupação. Os resultados desse trabalho indicaram que todas as edificações analisadas apresentam um índice de segurança contra incêndio aceitável de acordo com o método de Gretener, não necessitando de nenhum tipo de intervenção nas medidas de segurança contra incêndio. Portanto a legislação estadual cumpre com seu objetivo que é, dentre outros, estabelecer um conjunto de medidas eficientes de prevenção e proteção contra incêndio para as edificações.

M.Sc. / The need for a fire-induced flashover (power line arcing to the ground) probability index for Eskom transmission (high voltage power) lines became evident soon after the installation the Advanced Fire Information System (AFIS) in 2004. AFIS is a satellite based fire detection system that utilizes polar and geostationary satellite sensors to detect fires as small as 50 m x 50 m in size. As soon as a fire is detected by either, the Terra, and Aqua Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectro-radiometer (MODIS) or Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) geostationary satellites close to any of the 28 000 km of Eskom transmission lines, a cell phone and email text warning is sent out to line managers responsible for the management of the particular section of line affected. Between 3000 - 6000 fires are recorded annually close to Eskom transmission lines with a fire-induced flashover rate of 100 - 150 transmission line trips per year. Fire-induced flashovers occur when the air around high voltage transmission lines are ionised due to a hot flame (> 500° C). As the air becomes conductive, electricity can move from the line to the ground in the form of a lightning flash. Studies have shown that one flashover can cause an average of three voltage depressions (dips) on the electrical transmission system, and each voltage depression can cause damage to a customer’s production ranging between R5000 and R150000 per dip. The aim of this study was to develop a prediction model with the ability to accurately predict fire-induced flashover occurrences on Eskom transmission lines in order to reduce the large amount of false alarms (SMS and email messages) produced annually by AFIS. The prediction model in the form of a probability index was derived from a combination of remote sensing satellite products as well as weather forecast variables. With the MODIS active fire product as base layer, weather forecast variables in the form of air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and wind direction, as well as topographical elevation and a satellite derived vegetation condition product served as input to the predictor data set of the model, while flashover statistics for 2007 provided the target data set within a Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis. iii The prediction capabilities for each of the variables were evaluated based on their prediction accuracy and Receiver Operation Characteristic (ROC) value in terms of the validation data set. Wind speed, relative humidity, wind direction and air temperature were shown to have the highest predictor importance and were used to develop the probability index calculated from a logistic regression analysis. The Fire-induced Flashover Probability Index (FIFPI) was tested through simulations of predictor variables and was also compared to existing Fire Danger Indices (Willis et al. 2001). The FIFPI was able to outperform most of the standard Fire Danger Indices (FDI’s) with only the McArthur Grassland Index (MK 4) which demonstrated some prediction capability. The importance of wind direction as an environmental component in the prediction of flashovers became clear as it tended to decrease the misclassification rate from 4.45% when only wind speed, relative humidity and temperature were used to 3.87% when wind direction was added. The research has shown that wind speed, wind direction, relative humidity and temperature can be used as an indicator of possible fire-induced flashovers underneath Eskom transmission lines. However, additional research is needed to verify the results from 2007. Ideally at least 3 years of data should be used.

Since 1990, thirteen fires over 100,000 acres in size have burned in California seven of which were recorded to be some of the most destructive wildfires of all time (California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection 2013). To aid the development of policy that reduces the destruction caused by wildfires, it is important to evaluate how risk changes through time in communities that are expanding into fire-prone areas. The objective of this study is to discover how the likelihood of structural loss is changing in WUI as newer; more fire resilient structures replace older structures on the edges of the WUI. Geographical Information Systems and remote sensing techniques were used to observe changes in urbanization, structural materials, housing density and defensible space over time in the communities of Rancho Santa Fe, Ramona and Julian in San Diego County. Fire Risk ratings were calculated using the equation Fire Risk= Hazard – Mitigation. Mitigation scores for each structure were informed using a binary logistic regression of variables influencing home loss in the Witch Creek Fire. Fire Risk Ratings were given to the 11,747 structures in the three communities for the years 2005, 2009, 2010 and 2012. The study found that the initial 0-1.5m zone around the home is the most critical for defensible space. In this zone, increased tree cover increases the odds of structure loss by over double that of grass cover. In Rancho Santa Fe and Julian, the majority of very high risk homes were located in high income communities despite moderate mitigation due to very high fire hazard levels. In Ramona most very high fire risk homes were located in lower income areas due to poor mitigation levels. Rancho Santa Fe and Julian decreased their fire risk over the 7 year study period with improved mitigation, Rancho Santa Fe improved the most (1.7% decrease in Very High and High risk homes). The proportion of very high fire risk homes increased in Ramona by .5% over the 7 year study period. Development on the outskirts of the WUI could increase the risk of the overall community if proper construction standards are not met and defensible space is not implemented. If fire resistant communities are constructed and maintained to high standards of defensible space, they could potentially provide a buffer for older high fire risk homes.

Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Water flows required for fire protection (fire flows) from water distribution systems (WDS) in rural towns in the Western Cape Province, South Africa, were evaluated as part of this research project. The fire flow requirements specified in different South African guidelines, as well as a number of international standards, were compared. Various guidelines and codes used in South Africa, including the South African National Standards, specify fire flow requirements according to the risk category of the area concerned. Alternative methods of firefighting and new firefighting technologies that can reduce the reliance on potable water resources for firefighting were evaluated. The traditional method of designing a WDS to provide potable water for firefighting, commonly employed in South African municipal areas formed the focus of the study. The potential fire risk costs (potential costs of damages if a fire was to occur) should also be considered, in addition to the network construction costs, when designing a WDS, in order to determine the most economically feasible option. Data obtained from the fire departments of three municipalities in rural towns of the Western Cape, was analysed to determine the actual flow rates that were required to extinguish fires in these towns. The records considered covered approximately one year in each case and included a total of 564 fire incident reports suitable for this study. According to the data, a small fraction (11%) of the fires was extinguished using water from the WDS by connecting firefighting equipment directly to a fire hydrant. The majority of the fires were extinguished by means of water ejected from a firefighting vehicle. This method implies the use of water drawn from the potable network at a certain location; the water is shuttled by firefighting vehicles, from either the fire station or from a central abstraction point in the WDS. The location of the said abstraction point was found to have a notable impact on the WDS and this received attention in this study. The data showed that 99.8% of the flows required in rural towns were lower than the flows recommended for moderate risk areas in typical South African guidelines. Hydraulic modelling of a hypothetical WDS model was conducted to illustrate that the provision of fire flows according to commonly used South African fire flow standards leads to higher costs. The latter hypothetical case study illustrates that designing a network to provide fire flows according to the referred standards resulted in 15% higher costs, compared to designing a network that would have provided for the actual recorded fire flows according to the data set obtained from the selected rural towns compiled for this study. The hypothetical case study also showed that the cost for a WDS, where sufficient pressure is required at all hydrants during peak fire flows, is 2.4% higher than the cost for a distribution system where water is supplied via predetermined hydrants for refilling firefighting vehicles. A WDS with central, predetermined abstraction points for refilling firefighting vehicles offers a solution to providing fire flows in areas where the distribution systems may be inadequate. The revision of the current fire flow standards of South Africa would, therefore, be a logical next step along with the reassessment of methods used for supplying fire flows. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Water vloei vir brandbestryding (brandvloei) uit waterverspreidingstelsels (WVS) in plattelandse dorpe in die Wes-Kaap, Suid Afrika, is as deel van hierdie navorsingsprojek geëvalueer. Die brandvloei soos gespesifiseer in verskillende Suid-Afrikaanse riglyne, asook ʼn aantal internasionale standaarde is vergelyk. Verskeie riglyne en kodes wat in Suid-Afrika gebruik word, insluitende die Suid-Afrikaanse Nasionale Standaarde, spesifiseer brandvloei-vereistes op grond van die risiko-kategorie van ʼn spesifieke gebied. ʼn Verskeidenheid alternatiewe metodes vir brandbestryding en nuwe brandbestrydings-tegnologieë is ondersoek, om sodoende die afhanklikheid van ons beperkte drinkbare waterbronne vir brandbestryding te verminder. Die tradisionele metode om water aan munisipale areas te voorsien, die gebruik van ʼn WVS, is ook geassesseer. Hierdie metodes dui daarop dat die potensiële brandgevaar-kostes (potensiële koste van skade indien ʼn brand sou plaas vind) ook in ag geneem moet word, tesame met die konstruksie kostes van ʼn WVS, om sodoende die mees ekonomies haalbare netwerk te bepaal. Data wat verkry is vanaf die brandweer departement van drie plattelandse munisipaliteite in die Wes-Kaap is ontleed om die werklike vloei-tempos vas te stel wat nodig was om brande te blus in hierdie dorpe. Die data is verkry vir ʼn tydperk van een jaar en 564 brandverslae was bruikbaar vir die doeleindes van hierdie studie. Volgens die data was ʼn lae aantal (11%) van die brande geblus vanuit die WVS deur die koppeling van brandbestrydingstoerusting direk aan ʼn brandkraan. Die meeste van die brande is geblus met behulp van water wat voorsien is deur ʼn brandbestrydingsvoertuig. Met hierdie metode word water deur die brandbestrydings-voertuie aangery vanaf die brandweerstasie of onttrek vanuit ʼn sentrale ontrekkingspunt in die WVS. Daar is gevind dat die ligging van laasgenoemde ontrekkingspunt ʼn beduidende impak op die WVS het – hierdie aspek is daarom verder ondersoek. Die data het getoon dat 99.8% van die vloei-tempo’s wat nodig is om brande te blus in plattelandse dorpe, laer is as die brandvloei riglyne vir matige risiko-areas volgens tipes Suid-Afrikaanse standaarde. Hidrouliese modellering van ʼn hipotetiese WVS is uitgevoer om te illustreer dat die verskaffing van brandvloei volgens die standaarde wat algemeen gebruik word, hoër kostes tot gevolg het. Die laasgenoemde hipotetiese gevallestudie illustreer dat ʼn netwerk ontwerp om brandvloei te verskaf volgens die huidige standaarde 15% duurder is as vir netwerke wat ontwerp is om die werklike aangetekende brandvloei te voorsien soos getoon deur die veld-data wat vir hierdie studie verkry is. Die hipotetiese gevallestudie het ook getoon dat die koste vir ʼn WVS, waar voldoende drukke gehandhaaf moet word by alle brandkrane terwyl piek brand vloeie voorsien word, 2.4% duurder is as vir ʼn WVS waar die brandvloei verskaf word by voorafbepaalde brandkrane vir die hervulling van brandbestrydingsvoertuie. ʼn WVS met sentrale onttrekkingspunte vir die hervulling van brandbestrydingsvoertuie, bied ʼn metode om brandvloei te voorsien in gebiede waar die WVS onvoldoende is, bv. informele nedersettings. Die hersiening van die huidige brandvloei standaarde van Suid Afrika sou dus ʼn logiese volgende stap wees, tesame met die herevaluering van die metodes wat gebruik word vir die verskaffing van brandvloei.

Bridges in the US are severely damaged or suffer collapse from fires at significant rates, even when compared to other hazards such as earthquakes. Fire-induced bridge collapses are perpetuated by the general lack of installed fire protection systems. Therefore, new materials and applications are needed to mitigate structural damage that can be caused to civil infrastructure by severe fires. Accordingly, the objective of this study is to further the development of new fire protection applications in transportation structures. Specifically, the investigation centers on the development of new applications in passive fire protection materials, within the context of shielding steel-girder bridges against severe fire effects. A steel-girder bridge has been selected for study, and a high-resolution finite element model has been formed based on the corresponding bridge structural drawings. Temperature-dependent structural material properties and thermal properties have been synthesized and incorporated into the model. Additionally, a representative fire scenario has been formed (in part) based on a recent fire incident that occurred at the selected bridge site. The fire scenario also incorporates the characteristics of a fully loaded gasoline tank truck fire, where a means of incorporating the severe fire into the finite element model (as thermal loading) has been identified and enacted. Coupled thermal-mechanical finite element analyses have been carried out using the (unprotected) steel-girder bridge model. An additional finite element simulation has been carried out, where the steel-girder bridge model has been fitted with a refractory cement material that insulates the underside of the bridge spans. Also, a finite element simulation has been carried out where the steel-girder bridge model has been fitted with intumescent coating material as insulation against fire effects. Both the refractory cement and the intumescent coating materials have been found to possess robust insulation characteristics from the simulation results. Namely, the finite element analysis results indicate that, in the event of a bridge fire, both materials are capable of preventing the buildup of damaging temperatures in underlying structural members. Accordingly, the refractory cement and intumescent coating materials have been identified as successful passive fire protection materials for the fire scenario and bridge case considered.

The purpose of this dissertation is to address risk and consequences of and effective mitigation strategies for urban fire events involving two critical infrastructures- water distribution and emergency services. Water systems have been identified as one of the United States' critical infrastructures and are vulnerable to various threats caused by natural disasters or malevolent actions. The primary goals of urban water distribution systems are reliable delivery of water during normal and emergency conditions (such as fires), ensuring this water is of acceptable quality, and accomplishing these tasks in a cost-effective manner. Due to interdependency of water systems with other critical infrastructures-e.g., energy, public health, and emergency services (including fire response)- water systems planning and management offers numerous challenges to water utilities and affiliated decision makers. The dissertation is divided into three major sections, each of which presents and demonstrates a methodological innovation applied to the above problem. First, a risk based dynamic programming modeling approach is developed to identify the critical components of a water distribution system during fire events under three failure scenarios: (1) accidental failure due to soil-pipe interaction, (2) accidental failure due to a seismic activity, and (3) intentional failure or malevolent attack. Second, a novel evolutionary computation based multi-objective optimization technique, Non-dominated Sorting Evolution Strategy (NSES), is developed for systematic generation of optimal mitigation strategies for urban fire events for water distribution systems with three competing objectives: (1) minimizing fire damages, (2) minimizing water quality deficiencies, and (3) minimizing the cost of mitigation. Third, a stochastic modeling approach is developed to assess urban fire risk for the coupled water distribution and fire response systems that includes probabilistic expressions for building ignition, WDS failure, and wind direction. Urban fire consequences are evaluated in terms of number of people displaced and cost of property damage. To reduce the assessed urban fire risk, the NSES multi-objective approach is utilized to generate Pareto-optimal solutions that express the tradeoff relationship between risk reduction, mitigation cost, and water quality objectives. The new methodologies are demonstrated through successful application to a realistic case study in water systems planning and management.