For anybody involved in Sustainable Building Design, Construction or Operation … SFE 2016 DUBLIN is a ‘must attend’ Benchmark International Event …
28-30 September 2016 ~ Gresham Hotel, O’Connell Street, Dublin, Ireland
SFE 2016 DUBLIN @sfe2016dublin
SUSTAINABLE FIRE ENGINEERING 2016 DUBLIN – Transformed Design Philosophy & Professional Discipline !
[ www.sfe-fire.eu ] [ www.sustainable-firengineering.ie ]
SFE 2016 DUBLIN – INTRODUCTION
Fire Losses, both direct and indirect, amount to a very significant percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in all economies, whether they are rich or poor … and result in enormous environmental devastation and social disruption. Some losses have not yet been fully identified, e.g. in the case of environmental damage … and others are not yet capable of being fully quantified, e.g. business interruption and brand damage. Current fire statistics are unreliable. In all situations, however, the waste of valuable human and natural resources caused by fire is unsustainable.
Fire Engineering, including Fire Prevention and Protection in Buildings, is a major multi-billion Euro/Dollar component of the Construction Industrial Sector – worldwide.
Unfortunately … a fundamental conflict exists between Sustainable Building Design Strategies and the fire safety responses adopted in today’s Conventional Fire Engineering. To take a simple example: for cooling, heating or ventilation purposes in a Sustainable Building, it is necessary to take advantage of natural unobstructed patterns of air movement in that building. On the other hand, fire engineers in private practice and control personnel in Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ’s) will demand that building spaces be tightly compartmented in order to limit the spread of fire and smoke within the building … dramatically interfering with those natural patterns of air movement.
Unusual fire behaviour and a range of difficult fire safety issues (critical, in the case of firefighters) also arise from the Innovative Design Features (for example, ‘green’ roofs, elaborate intelligent façades) and Building Products/Systems (for example, photovoltaic panels) being installed in Sustainable/Green/PassivHaus/LEED/Eco/Bio/Zero Carbon/BREEAM/+Energy/Smart Buildings.
A wide chasm separates the language and understanding of these two very different design disciplines. As a result, the performance of Sustainable Buildings can be seriously compromised. If, on the other hand, adequate independent technical control is absent on site … it is fire safety which is weakened. And because, in most countries, the emphasis is placed on pre-construction design intent rather than the ‘real’ performance of the completed and occupied building … these problems are ignored and remain hidden … until a serious fire breaks out.
SFE 2016 DUBLIN – OBJECTIVES
1. To initiate discussion and foster mutual understanding between the International Sustainable Development, Climate Change & Urban Resilience Communities and the International Fire Science & Engineering Community.
2. To bring together today’s disparate Sectors within the International Fire Science and Engineering Community … to encourage better communication between each and trans-disciplinary collaboration between all.
3. To transform Conventional Fire Engineering into an ethical and fully professional Sustainable Design Discipline which is ‘fit for purpose’ in the 21st Century … meaning … that fire engineers can participate actively and collaboratively in a sustainable design process, and can respond creatively with sustainable fire engineering design solutions which result in Effective Fire Safety for All in Sustainable Buildings.
4. To launch a CIB W14 Research Working Group VI Reflection Document: ‘Sustainable Fire Engineering Design & Construction’ … which will establish a framework for discussion on the future development of Sustainable Fire Engineering.
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For Practical Information about Sustainable Fire Engineering, and Important SFE Links & Resources … including Sponsorship and Exhibitor Opportunities at this Benchmark International Event … please visit the SFE 2016 DUBLIN Website at: www.sfe-fire.eu