Fire and Sustainable Buildings

• develop and evaluate performance-based fire safety strategies for different kinds of low-carbon buildings
• describe the components of a holistic performance-based fire safety strategy, and how they relate to each other.
• describe the fire safety challenges related to different aspects of low-carbon buildings, and how they influence the fire safety strategy.
• define design objectives and performance criteria for buildings incorporating low-carbon materials and systems.
• describe the influence of combustible building elements, and energy production and storage systems, on fire dynamics and the resulting fire risks.
• describe the applicability and limitations of standard test methods for new materials and systems.
• design ad hoc tests to evaluate the performance of novel materials and systems.
• independently search, find, refer to relevant literature to evidence decisions.
• describe solutions, including active and passive fire protection systems (and the limitations of these protection systems), to address the risks associated with different components of low-carbon buildings.

This course will introduce the students to the fire safety challenges associated with various design components intended to reduce the lifecycle carbon emissions of buildings, including timber elements, biobased insulation, solar cells, and energy storage systems. This course focuses on the preventive fire safety.
The students will be introduced to the application of performance-based design methodologies such as deterministic, comparative and risk-based, to address these risks, and supported by the necessary evidence or ad hoc testing.
The students will learn how to evaluate and review designs of such “sustainable” buildings.
The course is based on review of the latest research and practice.

Teaching at DTU and distance learning with guidance, and exercises/assignments

Minimum: 10, Maximum: 35.

Please be aware that this course has a minimum requirement for the number of participants needed, in order for it to be held. If these requirements are not met, then the course will not be held. Furthermore, there is a limited number of seats available. If there are too many applicants, a pool will be created for the remainder of the qualified applicants, and they will be selected at random. You will be informed 8 days before the start of the course, whether you have been allocated a spot.