The Symbiotic Synergy of Fire Engineering for Sustainable Building Design

Abstract

This paper presents a case study of “fire engineering” in “sustainable building design” and in particular on how fire safety can be integrated into sustainable practices. One of the things it does is to point to a general shift in sustainable design towards using materials and technologies that make a smaller imprint on the environment and also conserve resources. The study also revisits the Performance-Based Design (PBD) approach with a focus in the determination of fire safety and structural fire performance in green buildings. It charts the progress of PBD especially after 9/11 and its adoption as part of the ASCE standard known as “Performance-Based Structural Fire Design (PBSFD)”. PBSFD is presented as a flexible tool, which fosters creativity and improves solutions for green building project. It also uses CFD simulations and case studies that give a realistic scenario of how fire incidents affect green features. It acknowledges the need for constant studies and cooperation in order to maintain safety and future-readiness of the new generation of buildings with reference to the progressive sustainable design developments. Furthermore, the paper aims at analyzing the effectiveness and contribution of green building features especially those that relate to data on fire incident of “exterior wall and cladding systems”. It provides the specialized “hazard/risk assessment tools for green features” and provides the ‘relative risk matrix’ and ‘relative concern level’ for risk assessment. Drawing examples from different parts of the world, the paper notes that green building elements are equally prone to fire disasters, a reason why fire safety in green buildings must be given priority. In this review, key considerations that define the regulatory and technical interaction of “fire safety engineering” and “sustainable building design” are established.