This book addresses fire safety of combustible façade systems which has gained much attention in recent times due to several major fire accidents across the world where combustible façade systems had a significant role in enhancing the growth of fire. The Grenfell tower (London) fire is one of the most severe accident in this category. The book covers basic design and functional aspects of commonly used façade systems along with the materials typically used in such systems. Subsequently, it discusses the currently available testing methods at component level, intermediate level, and system level. It also provides detailed case studies of six full-scale real fire façade fire experiments that have been jointly carried out by IIT Gandhinagar and Underwriters Laboratories at the full-scale façade testing facility established at IIT Gandhinagar. The book will enable designers and decision makers to make better assessments regarding fire safety of existing and upcoming façade systems. It also serves as a guide to deciding which testing methods are more appropriate under certain conditions.

This book addresses the detailed analysis and design of structures under fire loads through the basic concepts. While fire and explosion characteristics of materials are discussed in detail, an estimate of fire load and integration to fire-resistant design is the main focus. The detailed design procedures include practical examples of various design codes from around the world. The scope of Fire-Resistant Design of Structures includes discussions related to the estimate of fire loads, analysis and design of structural members under fire, fire protection and firefighting systems, working principles, and suitability for various industrial applications. It provides comprehensive coverage regarding the analysis and design of structural systems under fire loads, in particular, and under elevated temperatures, in general. Features: • Provides an understanding of fire loads, analysis, and design of various structural members • Includes detailed design methods and model studies • Covers in detail different types of firefighting equipment and their functions and applications

This book focuses on topics in the entire spectrum of fire safety science, targeting research in fires, explosions, combustion science, heat transfer, fluid dynamics, risk analysis, structural engineering, and other subjects. The book contributes to a gain in advanced scientific knowledge and presents or advances new ideas in all topics in fire safety science. Two decades ago, the 1st Asia-Oceania Symposium on Fire Science and Technology was held in Hefei, China. Since then, the Asia-Oceania Symposia have grown in size and quality. This book, reflecting that growth, helps readers to understand fire safety technology, design, and methodology in diverse areas including historical buildings, photovoltaic panels, batteries, and electric vehicles.

This SpringerBrief presents strategies for fire mitigation based on combustible assembly systems of exterior walls. Providing background information on common exterior wall systems, the mechanisms of fire spread, and case studies, it examines the difficulties in controlling a fire with several materials and assembly methods. The brief compiles information on typical fire scenarios which involve the exterior wall, along with further exploration into test methods, approval and regulatory requirements for the various assembly systems. Offering testing approaches for possible mitigation strategies, the brief takes into account that current commercial wall assembly systems are constructed to improve energy performance, reduce water and air infiltration, and allow for aesthetic design flexibility. Exterior Insulation Finish Systems, metal composite claddings, high-pressure laminates, and weather-resistive barrier systems all have components which directly impact the fire hazard. Recommendations for future exterior wall construction are based on identified knowledge gaps.

This book contains the proceedings of the 14th KES International Conference on Sustainability and Energy in Buildings 2021 (SEB2022) held in Split, Croatia, during September 14–16, 2022, organized by KES International. SEB22 invited contributions on a range of topics related to sustainable buildings and explored innovative themes regarding sustainable energy systems. The conference formed an exciting chance to present, interact and learn about the latest research and practical developments on the subject. The conference attracted submissions from around the world. Submissions for the full-paper track were subjected to a blind peer-reviewed process. Only the best of these were selected for presentation at the conference and publication in these proceedings. It is intended that this book provides a useful and informative snapshot of recent research developments in the important and vibrant area of sustainability in energy and buildings.

This book provides state-of-the-art advances in several areas of importance in energy, combustion, power, propulsion, environment using fossil fuels and alternative fuels, and biofuels production and utilization. Availability of clean and sustainable energy is of greater importance now than ever before in all sectors of energy, power, mobility and propulsion. Written by internationally renowned experts, the latest fundamental and applied research innovations on cleaner energy production as well as utilization for a wide range of devices extending from micro scale energy conversion to hypersonic propulsion using hydrocarbon fuels are provided. The tailored technical tracks and contributions from the world renowned technical experts are portrayed in the respective field to highlight different but complementary views on fuels, combustion, power and propulsion and air toxins with special focus on current and future R&D needs and activities. The energy and environment sustainability require a multi-pronged approach involving development and utilization of new and renewable fuels, design of fuel-flexible combustion systems that can be easily operated with the new fuels, and develop novel and environmentally friendly technologies for improved utilization of all kinds of gas, liquid and solid fuels. This volume is a useful book for practicing engineers, research engineers and managers in industry and research labs, academic institutions, graduate students, and final year undergraduate students in Mechanical, Chemical, Aerospace, Energy and Environmental Engineering.

As existing buildings age, nearly half of all construction activity in Britain is related to maintenance, refurbishment and conversions. Building adaptation is an activity that continues to make a significant contribution to the workload of the construction industry. Given its importance to sustainable construction, the proportion of adaptation works in relation to new build is likely to remain substantial for the foreseeable future, especially in the developed parts of the world. Building Adaptation, Second Edition is intended as a primer on the physical changes that can affect older properties. It demonstrates the general principles, techniques, and processes needed when existing buildings must undergo alteration, conversion, extension, improvement, or refurbishment. The publication of the first edition of Building Adaptation reflected the upsurge in refurbishment work. The book quickly established itself as one of the core texts for building surveying students and others on undergraduate and postgraduate built environment courses. This new edition continues to provide a comprehensive introduction to all the key issues relating to the adaptation of buildings. It deals with any work to a building over and above maintenance to change its capacity, function or performance.

Optimization techniques offer immense potential for the improvement of performance-driven design, since they allow the adoption of an holistic approach. This can lead to great advantages: optimal design solutions can be properly identified only if all criteria are considered at the same time, rather than separately. There are two barriers which obstruct optimization from being applied to building design: a technological barrier (applying the algorithms is not easy and can be quite time-consuming) and a cultural one (architects and engineers are required to change their perspectives as the design process has to be handled in a new way). This book explores these barriers from the perspective of both engineers and architects, and proposes a change in the attitudes of these two “actors”: an engineer and an architect develop a dialog which helps them understand each other’s perspective; in this way they find how they must both make a step forward.

Environmental concerns and advances in architectural technologies have lead to a greater number of green buildings or buildings with green, eco-friendly elements. However, from a practical standpoint, there is no incident reporting system in the world that tracks data on fire incidents in green buildings. Fire safety objectives are not explicitly considered in most green rating schemes, and green design features have been associated with photovoltaic panels and roof materials, lightweight timber frame buildings, and combustible insulation materials. Fire Safety Challenges of Green Buildings is the result of an extensive global literature review that sought to identify issues related to green building elements or features and ways to ensure those issues are tracked for future improvement. The book identifies actual incidents of fires in green buildings or involving green building elements, points out issues with green building elements that would increase fire risk, clarifies reports and studies that address ways to reduce fire risk in green design elements, and compares research studies that explicitly incorporate fire safety into green building design. The authors also pinpoint gaps and specific research needs associated with understanding and addressing fire risk and hazards with green building design. Using their data, the authors developed a set of matrices relating these green attributes and potential fire hazards. With these comprehensive tools, potential mitigation strategies for addressing the relative increase in fire risk or hazard associated with the green building elements and features have been identified. Fire Safety Challenges of Green Buildings is intended for practitioners as a tool for analyzing building safety issues in green architecture and developing methods for tracking data related to green design elements and their potential hazards. Researchers working in a related field will also find the book valuable.