Review of International Fire Risk Prediction Methods.
Review of International Fire Risk Prediction Methods.
(656 K)
Bukowski, R. W.
Interscience Communications Ltd.; National Institute of
Standards and Technology; Building Research
Establishment; and Society of Fire Protection Engineers.
Interflam 1993. (Interflam '93). Fire Safety.
International Fire Conference, 6th. March 30-April 1,
1993, Oxford, England, Interscience Communications Ltd.,
London, England, Franks, C. A., Editor(s), 437-446 pp,
1993.
Keywords:
fire safety; fire science; risk assessment; fire risk;
performance based codes
Abstract:
The long sought after benefits of performance based
codes may finally be within reach as many countries are
developing comprehensive building fire risk evaluation
methods to support the determination of compliance with
their goals. The Japanese published a formal method of
establishing compliance with their Building Standard Law
in 1988 which is now in use. Australia is presently
developing such a method as part of a national building
code regulatory reform project. The Canadian government
has committed to adopt the Australian method once
completed. In 1990, NIST published a product fire risk
evaluation method which can also be used for quantifying
the risk presented by a specific building design.
Similar projects are known in the United Kingdom,
Finland, and Sweden. The Japanese have further funded a
project to study the various methods developed or in
process and to suggest ways of harmonizing the results.
This paper reviews the US, Japanese, and Australian
efforts and summarizes their extensive similarities and
few diferences. Given the similitude a collaboration is
recommended which would result in a coordinated approach
incorporating the best aspects of each method.
