Research and Development Needs: Building Safety and Homeland Security

1
Research and Development NeedsBuilding Safety
and Homeland Security

• Philip J. DiNenno, PE
• President

2
Risk Analysis / Needs Assessment

• Required / desired level of safety against
  variable threats
• Quantified, design-oriented
• Levels of acceptable risk
• Controlled infrastructure
• High profile
• Building population, size, etc.
• Emergency response capability
• Near-term Design practice changes that improve
  survivability
• Low Cost / High Impact

3
Design Methods

• Fire Spread and Growth
• Upgrade existing modeling tools. Goal should be
  prediction over arbitrary fuel load.
• Blast and Structural Response
• Blast and Fire Interaction
• Structural Fire Protection
• Fire as Weapon
• Arson / VCE

4
Data and Test Methods

• Improved Design methods will also require new
  test methods
• Application of Methods will require updated data
  on bulidings

5
Needs for Science-Based Structural Fire
Protection Design

• Design fire exposure
• Thermal/Mechanical Response of Insulation Systems
• Structural Performance in Fire
• Test methods
• Performance Criteria
• Technology Transfer

6
Science-Based Structural Fire Protection Design
Building CodeRequirements
Listings - Engineering data - Furnace
validation
ArchitecturalDesign
Design FireExposure
Passive FPDetailed DesignThermal/Mech. Analysis
StructuralDesign
Passive FPConceptual Design
Structural FirePerformance Analysis
Evaluate Performance
7
Survivable Safety Systems

• Threat dependent
• Range of design changes
• Look for low-cost improvements
• Examples
• Emergency communication system
• Fixed fire protection system (sprinklers)
• Standpipe systems
• Egress facilities (separation, hardening?)
• Smoke/Contaminant control
• Structural fireproofing

8
Multiple Purpose Safety Systems

• Changes / improvements to existing building
  systems to improve survivability and meet
  multiple objectives
• Smoke control systems (CBR protection)
• Voice and emergency communications
• Elevators
• Egress/security interface
• Video detection
• Areas of refuge
• Changes to system design/architecture

9
Human Behavior/Factors

• Design change based on research
• Egress facilities
• Emergency communications
• Tenability
• Threat perception
• Viability of defend in-place strategies
• Realistic assessment of emergency response
  capabilities

10
Technology Transfer

• Key
• Role of codes and standards
• Integration with design practice
• Near-term Look for low cost/high impact changes
• Risk benefit / cost benefit analysis

11
Summary

• A National RD initiative with clear Near and
  long term objectives will help meet Security
  initiatives while improving overall design
  infrastructure
• NIST initiatives are an excellent start
• Additional Research Infrastructure is also
  required