Risk Assessment and the Design of Fire Safety Systems in Buildings

Abstract

In 1989, a research project entitled, “Fire Safety and Engineering” was conducted at the Warren Centre for Advanced Engineering, the University of Sydney, and involved 70 leading researchers and engineers from around Australia. It was found that fire safety and protection facilities constructed in accordance with current Australian regulatory requirements are a significant component of the cost of many buildings in this country. The project team concluded that with the development of systematic approaches to building fire safety and protection design, based on risk assessment models and fire-engineering design techniques, substantial cost savings can be made while achieving satisfactory levels of life safety. There is an urgent need for a greater understanding by designers and regulatory officials of fire phenomena, human behavior, and fire engineering techniques.