- Author
- Nelson, H. E.
- Title
- Directions to Improve Application of Systems Approach to Fire Protection Requirements for Buildings.
- Coporate
- National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, MD
- Report
- NBSIR 77-1273, July 1977, 38 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Keywords
- fire safety | fire behavior | fire growth | probability
- Abstract
- This paper covers an examination of the recent and ongoing work in the development of systems' approaches for design of fire protection in buildings, as carried out in the United States. The scope of coverage includes: (1) a brief review of the development of fire safety systems' approaches in the United States, to the degree felt important to understanding the current situation; (2) an overview of the more extensive and pertinent fire growth systems' analysis approaches; (3) a discussion of systems for the analysis of building fire safety design directed at establishing building requirements; (4) a review of the directions and activities now underway to integrate the fire growth models and the total building performance models into a combined approach. This paper proposes a model of fire and its impact based on a "states-transition" concept. The fire is viewed as two separate sequences (Fire Behavior and Human Behavior). Each sequence consisting of connected realms of consistent behavior. The concept views these sequences as interrelating, with a distinct rate consistent for each realm. The concept of "states-conditions" is also evaluated. A matrix relating the factors, conditions, and development phase of fire is presented. Finally, a plan for the derivation of viable fire protection engineering technology is presented.