published_or_final_version / Politics and Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Psychology / Master / Master of Philosophy

Radio propagation in the presence of fire is known to be problematic to communications. In this thesis we use both experimental and theoretical approaches to examine and understand radio propagation in fire environments. Propagation is examined for three small scale fires with broadband equipment operating from 50MHz to 1GHz. Results for line of sight propagation show a strong interaction of fire with electromagnetic propagation. The next section develops electromagnetic modelling of the fire environment. A model of the combustion induced plasma is developed, as well as a refractive index model of the surrounding atmosphere of a fire. Simple propagation calculations are undertaken, using the developed fire models, to provide an intial understanding of propagation in fire environments. The next portion of the thesis considers propagation using a more rigorous electromagnetic simulation technique. A modified Finite Difference Time Domain method is presented and is utilised to examine three dimensional propagation in the small scale fire experiments. The outcome is a more solid understanding of propagation and the contributing factors. The last portion of the thesis is the application of the above electromagnetic modelling and simulation methods to bushfire scenarios. Various scenarios that are problematic to radio communication are examined. Discussion and recommendations are made concerning radio communication frequency selection and considerations for propagation in fire environments. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1457560 / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, 2009

Radio propagation in the presence of fire is known to be problematic to communications. In this thesis we use both experimental and theoretical approaches to examine and understand radio propagation in fire environments. Propagation is examined for three small scale fires with broadband equipment operating from 50MHz to 1GHz. Results for line of sight propagation show a strong interaction of fire with electromagnetic propagation. The next section develops electromagnetic modelling of the fire environment. A model of the combustion induced plasma is developed, as well as a refractive index model of the surrounding atmosphere of a fire. Simple propagation calculations are undertaken, using the developed fire models, to provide an intial understanding of propagation in fire environments. The next portion of the thesis considers propagation using a more rigorous electromagnetic simulation technique. A modified Finite Difference Time Domain method is presented and is utilised to examine three dimensional propagation in the small scale fire experiments. The outcome is a more solid understanding of propagation and the contributing factors. The last portion of the thesis is the application of the above electromagnetic modelling and simulation methods to bushfire scenarios. Various scenarios that are problematic to radio communication are examined. Discussion and recommendations are made concerning radio communication frequency selection and considerations for propagation in fire environments. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1457560 / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, 2009

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 2009. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Mississippi State University. Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

The thesis on the topic Analysis of Faults Found in Fire Inspections Performed within Execution of State Fire Inspection by the Fire Brigade Rescue Corps of Southern Bohemia in 2003 2012 focuses on comparison of faults selected by gradual elimination from all the 700 fire inspections to final 150 complex fire inspections and classified per years in a ten-year comparison period. Follow-up inspections and thematic fire inspection were not used for the complex evaluation as they did not contain the necessary information. Six parameters were chosen from all the performed complex inspections containing 30 monitored facts of correctness and existence of documents of the inspected object and seven monitored facts from physical examination of the objects. These six parameters were subsequently compared. The aim of my thesis was to find out whether the numbers of the faults detected within execution of the state fire inspection were increasing in the individual categories. The theoretical part summarizes the basic legal norms applicable to the Fire Brigade Rescue Corps of the CR and to execution of the state fire inspection and some extensive legal norms related to the inspection activities or inspected subjects. Elaboration of the thesis topic required explanation of some terms like legal entity, private entrepreneur, fire inspection, state fire inspection and its integration in the Fire Brigade Rescue Corps of the CR. The chapter contains description of activities including graphs illustrating procedures related to execution of state fire inspection. A separate part is dedicated to fire protection history, formation of awareness of the history and to chronological arrangement of some key legal norms binding for the Fire Brigade Rescue Corps of the CR and execution of state fire inspection. It was for example necessary to present the rules governing execution of state fire inspection like professional competence of Fire Brigade Rescue Corps members and their identification at the place of inspection, to clarify the terms fire inspection plan and fire inspection programme. The final part of the theoretical base of the thesis contains the rules of behaviour of Fire Brigade Rescue Corps members performing state fire inspection at the inspected site and principles of interaction with people representing the inspected subject. The research methodology was chosen adequately to the topic dealt with. First archive materials from complex fire inspection records were studied and then the individual faults were qualitatively processed and categorized to faults in documentary part and physical defects. After that a selection of closer spectre of examined faults was performed and preparation of data for comparison. The faults of the individual years were compared in the monitored data and the danger index of the individual years was calculated. The concluding part of the thesis focused on presentation of the dependences of the detected faults of the individual years by means of tables and graphs. The results were mutually compared, classified, commented in detail in the discussion and elaborated into the overall image of the society. Dependence of the number of performed complex fire inspections on the number of detected faults was proven from the danger index and from graphic representation of its values.

The Miombo forest is represented in seven countries in the subtropical area of Africa and is an example of ecosystem adapted to the disturbance of anthropogenic fire. The forest yields a number of different ecosystem goods and services including fuelwood, honey and soil protection. Fire has found a worldwide acceptance during the last decade due to deeper understanding of their role in the ecosystem. The presence of fire prevents up-building of fuel and big fires, therefore a new fire management is now seen. In general the Miombo forest is threatened by overexploitation. A similar situation was represented in Duru-Haitemba forest where the case study was situated in northern Tanzania. To conserve the forest and give the tenure of the forest to the villages in Duru-Haitemba a community-based forest management was established in the middle of 1990’s. The management succeeded to save the forest with a fire management including several methods of fire preventions and now there is a well grown Miombo forest in the area. This essay deals with the topic how the fire is affecting the Miombo forest. From there, this paper examines how the current community-based forest management is formed concerning the role of fire and the objectives of the locals. The conclusion of the essay indicates that the fire has an important role in the ecosystem of the Miombo forest and favour ecosystem dynamics and diversity of the Miombo forest. The result of the case study showed that the fire management was poorly adapted to the disturbance of fire and was not widely based on local knowledge or specific needs and objectives of the different villages.

A presente Dissertação apresenta algumas metodologias disponíveis para o dimensionamento do material de revestimento contra fogo de estruturas de aço em situação de incêndio. Incluem-se métodos analíticos simplificados conforme normas em vigor e resultados de análises experimentais obtidos por laboratórios internacionais e nacional. Detalha-se também a aplicação do programa de computador Super Temp Calc (STC), em análise térmica e dimensionamento de pilares, revestidos ou não por material de revestimento contra fogo, em contato com alvenarias. Comparações entre esses métodos e sugestões de emprego para a prática de projeto também são contemplados neste trabalho. / This present work shows some methodologies to determine the thickness of the fire protective material in steel structures in a fire situation. It shows analytical methods based on actual standards and results of experimental analysis by international and national laboratories. The application of the program Super Temp Calc (STC) is detailed, by thermal analysis and designs of columns, with fire protection or not, in contact with masonry. Comparisons between some methods and suggestions by use for design´s practical also are contemplated in this work.

Syftet med studien är att undersöka de risker som finns i samband med brand i däckhotell, samt utvärdera om samhällets krav på byggnadstekniskt brandskydd är tillräckligt för att hantera risknivån. Samhällets krav i studien är Boverkets byggregler BFS 2011:6 med ändring till och med BFS 2020:4 (BBR) och den kravställning som sker i enlighet med förenklad dimensionering. Kraven i BBR har kvantifierats för att möjliggöra en jämförelse mellan BBR och de verkliga förutsättningar som återfinns på däckhotell. Studien behandlar enbart tre av de fem punkter som BBR baseras på. Utveckling och spridning av brand och rök inom byggnadsverket ska begränsas, spridning av brand till närliggande byggnadsverk ska begränsas och hänsyn ska tas till räddningsmanskapets säkerhet vid brand. Det finns erfarenheter kring bränder i däcklager men ingen samlad bild av hur däckhotell bör hanteras i regelverken, eller om det är förenligt med byggreglernas intention och räddningstjänstens praktiska erfarenheter att utföra insats. Hur ska då brandskyddet utformas i däckhotell för att samhällets krav ska vara uppfyllt? I ett däcklager kan det handla om flera tusen däck som lagras samtidigt. Metodval för att besvara frågeställningarna var att utifrån verkliga däckhotell tillsammans med forskning och studier inom området, genomföra en rad olika analyser. Detta för att kunna besvara frågorna kvantitativt och/eller kvalitativt. Alla frågeställningar krävde dock flera antaganden för att vara möjliga att besvara. För att erhålla något att basera antagandena mot, genomfördes en fallstudie på verkliga däckhotell. Därefter skapades fem olika geometriska modeller baserade på de verkliga byggnaderna av volym, konstruktionsmaterial och ventilationsmöjligheter. Fallstudien visade även på stor variation på antalet däck som fanns placerade i däckhotell. Dock kan det konstateras att brandbelastningen i ett däckhotell överskrider 1600 MJ/m2 golvarea. Det konstruktionsmaterial byggnaden är uppförd med har stor inverkan på temperaturen i brandrummet. Däckhotell uppförda med en betongkonstruktion ger bättre förutsättningar för de brandavskiljande komponenterna att upprätthålla den brandbegränsande funktionen, detta i jämförelse med ett däckhotell uppfört av plåt med isoleringskärna. En brandcellsgräns som utsätts för den temperaturutveckling som sker i byggnad med väggar och tak av plåt-/isoleringskonstruktion, kommer eventuellt inte att begränsa brandspridningen under avsedd tid. De två skyddsbarriärerna som anges i BBR för att begränsa brandspridning mellan byggnader är skyddsavstånd eller att ytterväggen utformas som en brandcellsgräns, men där funktionen av en brandcellsgräns blir beroende av byggnadens konstruktionsmaterial. Fungerande skyddsavstånd är under förutsättning att öppningarna i fasad är begränsade och inte är större än en normal garageport. Syftet med att skydda närliggande byggnader uppfylls därmed inte. Skyddsavståndet bör vara i relation till arean på möjliga öppningar istället för ett fast värde. Ska skyddsavståndet vara fast bör det ske reglering av arean på möjliga öppningar och begränsa storleken eller kritisk strålningsnivå som får uppkomma på närliggande byggnad. Granskning av räddningsmanskapets säkerhet var en jämförelse mellan BBR och intervjuer på hur en räddningsinsats skulle kunna genomföras. Det som diskuterades var vilka risker branden och byggnaden utgör, samt hur dessa kan påverka genomförandet av insatsen. Brandtekniska åtgärder för att ta hänsyn till räddningsmanskapets säkerhet vid insats finns inte i erforderlig omfattning, vid brandteknisk projektering enligt förenklad dimensionering. Utan tidig detektion är risken överhängande att branden är för omfattande för att användning av invändiga brandposter för begränsning ska kunna vara möjlig. Dock är den enskilt viktigaste åtgärden för räddningsmanskapets säkerhet är att säkerställa tillgången till rätt mängd släckvatten vid byggnaden. Däckhotell placerade i containers är den enda byggnadsgeometri vilken kan projekteras enligt förenklad dimensionering. Den lagringsmetoden ger bäst möjlighet till en lyckad räddningsinsats och låg riskbild, och de är den enda modellen där brandcellsgränser helt klart skulle uppfylla sitt syfte både i klass EI 30 och EI 60. Containers har normalt inga fönster eller andra likvärdiga öppningar. / The aim of the thesis is mainly to investigate the risks that exist in case of fire in tire hotels and to evaluate whether society's requirements for fire protection in buildings are enough to manage this level of risk. Society's requirements in the study are Boverket's building regulations, BFS 2011:6 with amendments up to BFS 2020:4, (BBR) and the requirements that takes place in accordance with simplified design. The requirements in BBR have been quantified to enable a comparison between BBR and the actual conditions found in tire hotels. The study only treats three of the five items which BBR is based on. Development and spread of fire and smoke within the construction works is limited, spread of fire to adjacent construction works is limited and consideration has been taken to the rescue team's safety in case of fire. It exists some experience of fires in tire storage, but not a general picture of how a tire hotel should be design according to the building regulations, nor if it´s compatible with the building regulations' intention or the rescue team's practical experience of carrying out a rescue operation. The question is how the fire protection should be designed in tire hotels so that society's requirements can be fulfilled? When it can be thousands of tires which are stored at the same time in a tire hotel. The method to answer the questions was to carry out a few different analyses based on real tire hotels, together with research and studies in this area, so the questions could be answered quantitatively and/or qualitatively. However, all questions required some assumptions to be answered. To obtain something to base the assumptions against, a case study on real tire hotels was conducted. Five different geometric models were therefore created based on the buildings in terms of volume, construction materials and ventilation openings. The case study also showed a great variation in the number of tires that were stored in the hotels. Even with the variation, it can be stated that the fire load in a tire hotel exceeds 1600 MJ/m2 per floor area. The buildings construction material has a big impact on the fire temperature in the room. Tire hotels with a concrete construction provide better conditions for the fire-separation components to maintain the limiting function, in comparison with a construction of metal sheets with a core of insulation. A fire compartment boundary that is exposed to a temperature rise that occur in a metal structure, may not have the function over time it supposed to limit the spread of fire to other rooms during the intended time. BBR specifies two protective barriers to limit the spread of fire to adjacent construction, which are safety distances or that an exterior wall is designed as a fire compartment boundary. The function to limited fire spread by a fire compartment boundary is dependent on the building's construction material to fulfill its purpose. For a safety distance to work, the openings in the facade must be limited and not larger than a normal garage door. The purpose of protecting adjacent construction is therefore not fulfilled. The safety distance should be in relation to the area of ​​ openings instead of a fixed value. If the safety distance is a fixed value, the areas of openings should be regulated, if not, the size of the critical radiation that occur on an adjacent construction should be limited. Examination of the rescue team's safety was a comparison between BBR and interviews on how a rescue operation could be carried out. Under the interviews it was discussed what type of risks that are caused by the fire and the building, and how these risks can affect the implementation of the operation. The fire technical arrangements do not fulfill its purpose, to create the level of safety that are required for the rescue team when the fire technical design is according to a simplified design. Without early detection, the risk is imminent that the fire is too large for a person to use an indoor fire hydrant. The most important arrangements for the safety of the rescue team are however to ensure access to the right volume of water near the building. Tire hotels placed in containers are the only type of building which can be projected according to simplified design. This storage method provides the best opportunity for a successful rescue operation with a low risk.  Containers are also the only geometric model where fire compartment boundary would clearly fulfill its purpose, in both class EI 30 and EI 60. Containers have normally no windows or other equivalent openings.