Brian J. Meacham

Performance-based building regulation: current situation and future needs

Although performance-based building regulations are in use or under development in numerous countries worldwide, there remain significant challenges in adequately identifying and defining performance, in understanding and addressing diverse societal expectations, and in establishing robust performance-based regulatory systems. These challenges become intensified as the building construction market becomes increasingly global, with the resulting expectation that building regulatory instruments remain valid across borders and do not create barriers to trade, while at the same time address local and national needs without compromising local cultural and societal norms. Many of these issues are just now beginning to be explored, and there is significant opportunity and need for future research and development in these areas.

Performance-Based Fire Safety Engineering: an Introduction of Basic Concepts

The topics of performance-based fire safety engineering* and performance-based building codes are the focus of significant discussion, research, and development worldwide. Although the two topics a...

Accommodating perceptions of risk in performance-based building fire safety code development

Differing perceptions of risk by various stakeholders have long played a role in influencing the development of prescriptive-based building fire safety codes. As performance-based building fire safety codes are developed, differing perceptions of risk will continue to be a significant influence. In this paper, the concepts of revealed preference, risk factors, risk adjustment factors and risk conversion factors are discussed, and two methods to address risk perceptions in a performance-based building fire safety code are introduced. The first method proposes the use of risk factors to classify buildings in terms such as low, medium, and high risk. Each class of building would be assigned a risk adjustment factor. Similar to safety factors, risk adjustment factors would be applied during deterministic building fire safety design to provide an increased level of safety in buildings where the risk perceptions would mandate greater safety. The second method would be used with a probabilistic-based building fire safety design approach, and uses risk factors to develop risk conversion factors (RCFs). In the probabilistic approach, a maximum expected-risk-to-life (ERL) value would be established by the code, with appropriate RCFs being applied to adjust maximum ERL values depending on how the buildings fire safety risk is perceived.

Understanding Risk: Quantification, Perceptions, and Characterization

There is considerable discussion and activity in the fire protection engineering and building regulatory communities related to the use of risk in analysis, design, and regulation. However, understanding risk can be complex, as there are widely varying views as to what risk means, how it can be quantified, how it is perceived, and generally how it can be characterized. This paper presents an overview of key issues that impact the understanding of risk from a variety of perspectives as a resource to better facilitate discussions and agreements in the fire protection engineering and building regulatory communities.

Risk-informed performance-based approach to building regulation

Performance‐based building codes are being developed and promulgated around the world. Concurrently, performance‐based analysis and design approaches are being used in a number of disciplines, including structural, mechanical, and fire protection engineering. The performance‐based building regulatory and design environment promises great opportunities for engineers and designers to innovate and to apply analytical tools and methods to design safe, efficient, cost‐effective, and aesthetically pleasing buildings. However, for regulators and enforcement officials, performance‐based approaches are often met with skepticism and concern, as the desired performance is not always well defined and agreed, the perceived certainty associated with compliance with prescriptive design requirements is no longer assured, and there is concern that the data, tools, and methods – necessary to assure that performance‐based designed buildings achieve the levels of performance and risk deemed tolerable to society – are lacking. To address these concerns, risk‐informed performance‐based approaches are being explored, with the aim to better identify and connect tolerable levels of risk, performance expectations, and design criteria for different aspects of building design. Risk‐informed performance‐based approaches being considered in Australia, New Zealand, and the USA are discussed.

Integrating human factors issues into engineered fire safety design

Engineered fire safety design requires considerably more knowledge in a broader spectrum of areas than traditional regulation-based or prescriptive-based fire safety design. In some areas, the required knowledge and expertise may not exist in the fire safety engineering community, and will have to come from specialists outside the profession. One such area is understanding and accounting for human response in fire situations. As perscriptive-based fire safety design does not require detailed consideration of the human/fire interaction, most fire safety engineers are ill equipped to address this consideration in engineered fire safety design. To address this concern, fire safety engineers need to become better aware of human response to fire. In addition, the means to integrate human factors issues into engineered fire safety design need to be developed. This paper helps to address the awareness issue by outlining several human factors issues that fire safety engineers need to consider in their designs. To make the process of addressing human factors issues in engineered fire safety design more systematic and complete, a conceptual approach for integrating human factors into engineered fire safety design is outlined.

Twenty years of performance-based fire protection design: challenges faced and a look ahead

A review of two decades of worldwide experience using standards, codes and guidelines related to performance-based fire protection design for buildings has identified shortcomings in the interpretation, application and implementation of the performance-based design process, apparent inconsistency in the resulting levels of performance achieved and several opportunities to enhance the process. In a constantly evolving building environment, technical challenges have to be overcome because fire safety engineering still depends greatly on knowledge gained from scientific and engineering research across a broad range of disciplines (e.g., better understanding of the fire phenomena, the behavior and response of the building occupants/contents/structure to the fire, tools for engineering analysis and all the necessary data needed to support tool application). Political challenges also need to be considered as performance-based fire protection design requires the approval of the authority having jurisdiction and ...

International Experience In The Development And Use Of Performance - Based Fire Safety Design Methods: Evolution, Current Situation And Thoughts For The Future

Over the past fifty years, fire safety engineering* has grown and developed into an accepted. if not fully mature, engineering discipline. This has been possible for a variety of reasons, including an ever-increasing understanding of fire safety science, continuing development of analytical methods for engineering analysis and design, technological advances in computational tools, and the global movement towards performance-based building and fire regulations. This paper reviews the current state of fire safety engineering by looking at international experiences in the development and use of performance-based fire safety design methods. It discusses the impact of increasing scientific knowledge and the evolution of performance-based fire safety design methods and regulations, and it speculates on what will be required for fire safety engineering to reach maturity as an engineering discipline.

Design and Construction of a Full-Scale 5-Story Base Isolated Building Outfitted with Nonstructural Components for Earthquake Testing at the UCSD-NEES Facility

This project involves earthquake and post-earthquake fire testing of a full-scale five-story building furnished with nonstructural components and systems (NCSs). A broad array of NCSs are incorporated in the test building, including a functioning passenger elevator, stairs, exterior walls, interior partition walls, piping, HVAC, ceiling, sprinklers, building contents, as well as passive and active fire systems. The NEES-UCSD outdoor shake table facility is utilized to support this full-scale testing program. In this paper, the design and construction of the test building and its NCSs are summarized. Testing is projected for March 2012, and pending this progression, preliminary data may be presented at the conference. Data obtained from this program will be used to evaluate and refine current code assumptions and computer models regarding nonstructural components and systems, and to find ways to minimize undesirable damage to NCSs during an earthquake.

Integrating human behavior and response issues into fire safety management of facilities

Although there is a growing international movement toward the use of engineered or performance‐based fire safety design, current practice is dominated by prescriptive‐based design. In prescriptive‐based fire safety design, only those requirements prescribed by appropriate building regulations, installation standards, or approved documents tend to be applied. Because these requirements typically include fire protection measures, such as fire detection and signaling systems, automatic sprinkler systems, fire compartmentation, and emergency egress systems, there is often an assumption that occupants, employees, and users of a facility will be safe should a fire occur. However, there are a variety of factors that could affect the actual fire safety of a facility that comply with the appropriate regulations. Fuel type, loading, configuration, and location can change, leading to an increase in fire risk. Occupants may not see, hear or understand fire alarm signals as fire alarm signals. Fire detection and signa...