Fire modeling is an essential part of risk-cost assessment. Fire models, particularly those of zone type, have flourished in recent years. The selection of a fire model as a sub- model for a fire safety system model needs further verification and review in a number of aspects. In the present study, the performances of two fire models, namely NRCC and CFAST, are evaluated with respect to accuracy, efficiency and simplicity. This study indicates that discrepancies exist between the experimental results and the predictions of both models for one type of fire scenario or another. The merits and weaknesses of the two models are identified in regard to the demands of a risk assessment system model.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Beck, V.R., "Fire Safety System Design Using Risk Assessment Models: Developments in Australia," Fire Safety Science - Proceedings of The Third International Symposium, Elsevier Applied Science, London, UK, 1991, pp.45-59.
2.
Meacham, B., "Performance-Based Codes and Fire Safety Engineering Methods: Perspectives and Projects of the SFPE", Proceedings of INTERFLAM'96, St. John's College, Cambridge, England, 1996, pp. 545-553.
3.
Phillips, W.G.B. , Simulation Models for Fire Risk Assessment , Fire Safety Journal, Vol. 23, 1994, pp. 159-169.
4.
Yung, D., Hadjisophocleous, G.V. and Proulx, G., "Modelling Concepts for the Risk-Cost Assessment Model™ and its Application to a Canadian Government Office Building", Fire Safety Science-Proceedings of The Fifth International Symposium, International Association of Fire Safety Science, Melbourne, Australia, 1997, pp. 619-630.
5.
Hall, Jnr. J. , "A Fire Risk Analysis Model for Assessing Options for Flammable Liquid Products in Storage and Retail Occupancies", The Proceedings o f INTERFLAM'96, St. John's College, Cambridge, England, 1996, pp. 591-600.
6.
Zhao, L. and Beck, V.R., "The Definition of Scenarios for the CESARE-Risk Model", Fire Safety Science-Proceedings of The Fifth International Symposium, International Association of Fire Safety Science, Melbourne, Australia, 1997, pp. 655-666.
7.
Friedman, R. , "An International Survey of Computer Models for Fire and Smoke," J. Fire Prot. Eng ., Vol. 4, No. 3, 1992, pp. 81-92.
8.
Jones, W.W., and Forney, G.P., "Improvement in Predicting Smoke Movement in Compartmented Structures ," Fire Safety Journal, Vol. 21, 1993, pp. 269-297.
9.
Peacock, R.D., Forney, G.P., Reneke, P., Portier, R. and Jones, W.W., "CFAST, the Consolidated Model of Fire Growth and Smoke Transport ," NIST Technical Note 1299, Building and Fire Research Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-0001, USA, 1993.
10.
Takeda, H. and Yung, D., "Simplified Fire Growth Models for Risk-Cost Assessment in Apartment Buildings ," J. Fire Prot. Engr., Vol. 4, No. 2, 1992, pp. 53-66.
11.
Luo, M., "One Zone or Two Zones in the Room of Fire Origin during Fires? The Effects of Air Handling System", Journal of Fire Sciences , Vol. 15, No. 3, 1997, pp. 240-260.
12.
Klote, J.H. , "A Computer Model of Smoke Movement by Air Conditioning Systems (SMACS)", Fire Technology , November 1988, pp. 299-311.
13.
Than, C.-F. and Savilonis, B.J., "Modeling Fire Behaviour in an Enclosure with a Ceiling Vent", Fire Safety Journal , Vol. 20, 1993, pp. 151-174.
14.
Chow, W.K. and Leung, W.M., "Solid-Wall Boundary Effect on a Building Fire Field Model", Combustion Science and Technology, Vol. 71, 1990, pp. 77-93.
15.
Baum, H.R., McGrattan, K.B. and Rehm, R.G., "Mathematical Modelling and Computer Simulation of Fire Phenomena ", Fire Safety Science-Proceedings of the 4th International Symposium , Kashiwagi, T. (ed), Ottawa, Canada, 1994 , pp. 185-193.
16.
Babrauskas, V. and Krasny, J., Fire Behaviour of Upholstered Furniture, NBS Monograph 173, National Engineering Laboratory, Centre for Fire Research, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, November, 1985.
17.
Beck, V.R., He, Y., Stewart, S., Luo, M., Szmalko, E. and White, B., "Experimental Validation of the NRCC Fire Growth Model," CESARE Report No. 95-001, Victoria University of Technology , Australia, 1995.
18.
Beck, V., Yung, D., He, Y. and Sumathipala, K. , "Experimental Validation of a Fire Growth Model", Proceedings of INTERFLAM'96, St. John's College, Cambridge, England, 1996 , pp. 653-662.
19.
He, Y., "A Simple Radiation Heat Transfer Model for Prediction of Fire Growth ", Proceedings of the Sixth Australian Heat and Mass Transfer Conference , edited by Madhusudana, C., The University of New South Wales , Sydney, Australia , December, 1996 , pp. 233-240.
20.
Quintiere, J.G., Steckler, K. and Corley, D., "An Assessment of Fire Induced Flows in Compartments", Fire Science and Technology , Vol. 4, No. 1, 1984, pp. 1-14.
21.
He, Y., "On Experimental Data Reduction for Zone Model Validation," Journal of Fire Sciences, Vol. 15, No. 2, 1997, pp. 144-161.
22.
Cooper, L.Y. , Harkleroad, M., Quintiere , J. and Rinkinen, W., "An Experimental Study of Upper Hot Layer Stratification in Full-Scale Multi-room Fire Scenarios ", Journal of Heat Transfer, Vol. 104, 1982, pp. 741-749.
