Study on the Setting Method of CFAST to Predict Heat and Smoke Spread

Abstract

Fire risks may be underestimated when ASET and RSET are individually derived and compared in the performance-based design of a building. Accordingly, the need for the real-time coupling of fire and evacuation simulations has emerged. Therefore, in this study, the predictive performance of CFAST, which requires relatively low computational cost and expertise, was verified as an alternative to FDS, which has limitations in coupling with evacuation simulation because of its high computational cost and expertise. Specifically, the prediction performance of the heat and smoke diffusion behavior was verified by comparing the CFAST prediction results according to the division method of the corridor connected to the fire room with the FDS. The results confirmed that CFAST yielded appropriate results within the model uncertainty range of the FDS for the upper-floor temperature and smoke detector operation time when the corridor was divided into intervals equal to the width. Simultaneously, owing to the limitations of the numerical model for the flow velocity of the ceiling jet, it was confirmed that considerable attention is required to predict the operation time of the heat detector using CFAST.