Performance-based approach to determining fire safety provisions for buildings in the Asia-Oceania regions

Abstract With the rapid development of economics in the Asia-Oceania regions, there were big construction projects with new architectural designs in the past three decades. Many of these projects were invested by Hong Kong enterprises. However, large halls without compartmentation, multi-purpose complexes in Central Business Districts, supertall landmark buildings and deep subway stations in old towns failed to comply with the fire safety codes. In such cases, performance-based approach is allowed as an alternative practice for determining fire safety provisions. Furthermore, there are fire safety challenges to green constructions. Consequently, a new fire engineering discipline integrating fire safety and built environment with new architectural features appears. In this paper, performance-based approach implemented for determining fire safety provisions in the past three decades in this part of the world will be reviewed. The four fire code systems available at the moment, namely, (1) prescriptive code, (2) fire engineering approach, (3) performance-based design, and (4) engineering performance-based fire code, will be outlined. Fire hazard assessment methodology for the performance-based approach, together with associated engineering tools, particularly the application of computational fluid dynamics, will be introduced. Examples of projects in Hong Kong failing to satisfy the prescriptive code will be outlined. Problems associated with buildings with fire safety provisions determined by performance-based approach in the past years will be highlighted. It is concluded that more in-depth fire safety research related to the fire safety of big constructions in the Asia-Oceania regions should be carried out to meet the new challenges.

[1]  Joel Ann Todd,et al.  Continuous Improvement of the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Rating System™ , 2008 .

[2]  Wan Ki Chow,et al.  Use of Computational Fluid Dynamics for Simulating Enclosure Fires , 1995 .

[3]  Noureddine Bénichou,et al.  How Design Fires Can be Used in Fire Hazard Analysis , 2002 .

[4]  Wan Ki Chow,et al.  A Discussion on Estimating the Heat Release Rate of Design Fires in Hong Kong , 2012 .

[5]  W. K. Chow,et al.  REPORT ON A RECENT FIRE IN A NEW CURTAIN-WALLED BUILDING IN DOWNTOWN DALIAN , 2006 .

[6]  Wan Ki Chow,et al.  Building fire codes and performance-based design in China : Mainland and Hong Kong , 2005 .

[7]  Alex Bwalya.  An Overview of Design Fires for Building Compartments , 2008 .

[8]  Edwin R. Galea,et al.  A Critical Comparison of a Phoenics Based Fire Field Model with Experimental Compartment Fire Data , 1994 .

[9]  Jose L. Torero,et al.  A Framework for Selecting Design Fires in Performance Based Fire Safety Engineering , 2015 .

[10]  W. K. Chow.  Concerns on the Low Heat Release Rates Estimated for Design Fires in Fire Engineering Approach , 2012 .

[11]  Kevin B. McGrattan,et al.  Fire Dynamics Simulator (Version 5): User's Guide , 2007 .

[12]  Wan Ki Chow,et al.  Numerical Studies on Heat Release Rate in Room Fire on Liquid Fuel under Different Ventilation Factors , 2012 .

[13]  Brian J. Meacham,et al.  A Framework for Risk-Informed Performance-Based Fire Protection Design for the Built Environment , 2014 .

[14]  Wan Ki Chow,et al.  A demonstration on working out fire safety management schemes for existing karaoke establishments in Hong Kong , 2000 .

[15]  Wan Ki Chow.  Fire Engineering for High-Density Cities , 2009 .

[16]  T. Hirano.  PROGRESS OF FIRE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN ASIA-OCEANIA REGION , 2007 .

[17]  Wan Ki Chow,et al.  A PRELIMINARY DISCUSSION ON ENGINEERING PERFORMANCE- BASED FIRE CODES IN THE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION , 1999 .

[18]  Ove Njå,et al.  The concept of validation in performance-based fire safety engineering , 2013 .

[19]  Wan Ki Chow,et al.  Heat release rate of accidental fire in a supertall building residential flat , 2010 .

[20]  William M. Pitts,et al.  Wind effects on fires , 1991 .

[21]  Wan Ki Chow,et al.  Ventilation design: Use of computational fluid dynamics as a study tool , 1995 .

[22]  George. V. Hadjisophocleous,et al.  Literature review of performance-based fire codes and design environment , 1998 .

[23]  Björn Sundström,et al.  Design fires for preflashover fires. Characteristic heat release rates of building contents. , 1997 .

[24]  Edward Ng.  Designing high-density cities for social and environmental sustainability , 2009 .

[25]  M. Lin.  A GENERAL OVERVIEW ON THE BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS IN CHINA , 2005 .

[26]  Richard W. Bukowski,et al.  Toward the goal of a performance fire code , 1991 .

[27]  Wan Ki Chow,et al.  Building Fire Simulation with a Field Model Based on Large Eddy Simulation , 2002 .

[28]  Wan Ki Chow,et al.  Experimental Investigation on Onsetting Internal Fire Whirls in a Vertical Shaft , 2009 .

[29]  Wan Ki Chow.  The Need for Fire Engineering Education in Hong Kong:- A talk presented at the Kick-off Seminar for Establishment of the "Forum for Advanced Fire Education/Research in Asia", 27-28 December 2012, Tokyo, Japan - , 2012 .

[30]  J. Quintiere,et al.  Numerical simulation of axi-symmetric fire plumes: accuracy and limitations , 2003 .

[31]  Wan Ki Chow,et al.  International tunnel fire-safety design practices , 2007 .

[32]  Raymond Cheng,et al.  Fire Safety Challenges of Green Buildings , 2012, SpringerBriefs in Fire.

[33]  Wan Ki Chow,et al.  Building Fire Safety in the Far East , 2005 .

[34]  Wan Ki Chow,et al.  Simulating Smoke Filling in Big Halls by Computational Fluid Dynamics , 2011 .

[35]  Wan Ki Chow,et al.  Experience on Implementing Performance-based Design in Hong Kong , 2013 .

[36]  James G. Quintiere,et al.  Flow induced by fire in a compartment , 1982 .

[37]  N. C. Markatos,et al.  Mathematical modelling of buoyancy-induced smoke flow in enclosures , 1982 .

[38]  Ove Njå,et al.  The Concepts of Safety Level and Safety Margin: Framework for Fire Safety Design of Novel Buildings , 2015 .

[39]  Wan Ki Chow,et al.  Points to Note in Modeling Fire With Computational Fluid Dynamics , 2012 .

[40]  Richard D. Peacock,et al.  Analysis of large-scale fire test data , 1991 .

[41]  Wan Ki Chow,et al.  A brief review on applying computational fluid dynamics in building fire hazard assessment , 2009 .

[42]  Wan Ki Chow.  A COMMENT ON STUDYING THE VENTILATION REQUIREMENTS FOR BUILDINGS IN THE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION , 2000 .

[43]  W. K. Chow.  SIX POINTS TO NOTE IN APPLYING TIMELINE ANALYSIS IN PERFORMANCE-BASED DESIGN FOR FIRE SAFETY PROVISIONS IN THE FAR EAST , 2011 .

[44]  Brian J. Meacham.  International Experience In The Development And Use Of Performance - Based Fire Safety Design Methods: Evolution, Current Situation And Thoughts For The Future , 2000 .

[45]  Henrik Bjelland,et al.  On the use of scenario analysis in combination with prescriptive fire safety design requirements , 2012, Environment Systems & Decisions.

[46]  Wan Ki Chow,et al.  On the fire safety for internal voids in highrise buildings , 2003 .

[47]  W. C. Fan,et al.  A BRIEF REVIEW ON ACTIVE FIRE PROTECTION ENGINEERING SYSTEMS IN CHINA , 2000 .

[48]  Cheuk Lun Chow,et al.  Experimental Studies on Fire Spread Over Glass Façade , 2010 .

[49]  Wan Ki Chow.  Fire Safety in Green or Sustainable Buildings: Application of the Fire Engineering Approach in Hong Kong , 2003 .

[50]  Brian J. Meacham,et al.  Twenty years of performance-based fire protection design: challenges faced and a look ahead , 2013 .

[51]  Cheuk Lun Chow.  Full-scale burning tests on double-skin façade fires , 2013 .

[52]  Vytenis Babrauskas,et al.  Fire Modeling Tools for Fse: Are They Good Enough? , 1996 .

[53]  Wan Ki Chow,et al.  Preliminary Studies on Burning Behavior of Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) , 2002 .

[54]  Vytenis Babrauskas,et al.  RSET/ASET, a flawed concept for fire safety assessment , 2010 .

[55]  G. Caird Ramsay,et al.  International Fire Engineering Guidelines , 2005 .