- Author
- Bukowski, R. W. | Tanaka, T.
- Title
- Toward the Goal of a Performance Fire Code.
- Coporate
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD Building Research Inst., Tsukuba, Japan
- Journal
- Fire and Materials, Vol. 15, No. 4, 175-180, October/December 1991
- Book or Conf
- CSIRO. International Fire Safety Engineering Conference. Concept and the Tools. Presented for FORUM for International Cooperation on Fire Research. Supported by SFPE, NFPA, AFPA, AAFA. October 18-20, 1992, Sydney, Australia, ['1991', '1992']
- Keywords
- fire codes | regulations | fire safety | simulation | safety factors | heat release rate | fuel load | fire growth
- Identifiers
- HAZARD I
- Abstract
- The paper presents a strategy for the development and implementaion of performance-based fire codes on an international scale. The process begins with agreement on a common set of goals which underline the code. Existing code bodies then decide on an appropriate set of quantitative prediction tools with which they are comfortable, and use them to quantify the degree to which their current code addresses these goals by establishing a standard design fire for each occupancy. By applying standard safety criteria and safety factors appropriate to the choice of predictive methods, the performance of any building can be quantified against the stated goals. To allow for an orderly transition from current codes, an interim code structure under which currently acceptable methods are 'deemed to satifsy' the code is presented.