Episodes

In this part 8 of Experiments that changed fire science series we revisit Cardington (previously covered in part 2 - https://www.firescienceshow.com/078-experiments-that-changed-fire-science-pt-2-bre-cardington-with-tom-lennon/), but this time from the perspective of modeling the structure. My guest prof. Asif Usmani of the HK PolyU takes us on how simplifying the model led them to some fundamental discoveries on the thermo-mechanical response of structures to fires. We discuss material propert...

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Carmen Górska from OFR Consultants, the recent IAFSS Phillip Thomas Award recipient for the best paper at the previous IAFSS Symposium. In this interview, we touch on preconceived notions about fire dynamics in timber compartments, and Carmen explains how she has learned the intricate physics behind it. The research discussed covers dozens of medium-scale timber (CLT) compartments with different amounts of exposed timber. The findings relate to the conditions...

In today's episode, we go into the practical consequences of having an underventilated fire - that is the possibility of backdraught or other similar smoke explosion phenomena. My guest Dr Ricky Carvel from the University of Edinburgh, touches on the chemistry of combustion, explaining why the underventilated fire is different than the oxygen-rich one, and how flammability limits are critical in understanding dynamic phenomena that may occur in a fuel-rich environment. We go into conditions in w...

Dear friends of the Fire Science Show, and listeners of the Smart Passive Income Podcast - today is some sort of a special broadcast. As I have just been featured in THE podcast https://www.smartpassiveincome.com/shows/spi/ I've chosen to create a lightweight episode on what Fire Safety Engineering is. I hope this is interesting to people who never heard about the term and a great reflection on what we do to all who practice the world's best job. I'm unraveling this together with our esteemed g...

Dear friends, I am building something new for you. Something that should be very useful, something that I wish I had when I started my journey as a fresh fire safety engineer. And I’ve reached a point where I’m comfortable sharing it is being built and that the first useful version will be available by the end of the month. So what is this mysterious thing? I’ve named it “The Book of Fire” (please let me keep the origin of the name story for another occasion 😊) and it will be an online col...

I'm known for my rant about critical velocity concept in tunnel ventilation systems, and I tried to really control myself and not go into podcast with it :) But in recent weeks, when I was enjoying sake at IAFSS in Tsukuba two important things happened. We have received the PASCAL award from the Polish Ventilation Association for the best ventilation design in Poland - our S2 Warsaw Ring tunnel project. The second was the invitation from the Conference of European Directors of Roads to talk abou...

Today we go deep into how statistical data about fires is gathered, processed, and used around the world, and what are the ideas on how to improve this in the future. My guests represent the EU FireStat Project - Dr Mohamad El Houssami from Effectis and Dr Martina Manes from the University of Liverpool. EU FireStat is a groundbreaking initiative that aims to fill data gaps and foster cross-European collaborations in the field of fire safety. The conversation takes a deep dive into the necessity...

In today's episode, I have invited dr Eleni Asimakopoulou from the University of Central Lancashire to discuss her extensive expertise on fire behaviour of facades. In the talk, we will go through Elenis' experiments on ventilated facades (and clear out what they are and why we use them). We do discuss the complexities of testing facade systems. We traverse through the global testing landscape, comparing diverse methods ranging from the German DIN4102 to its American NFPA counterpart. We discuss...

Balancing the cost and the potential to change a system in the future is a difficult act. Discover a new perspective on this aspect of fire safety systems with our guest, Jaime Cadena Gomez. We discuss the significance of longevity and sturdiness in these systems, bringing examples of technologies that have not withstood the test of time such as PFAS firefighting foams, and technologies that will rapidly enter our buildings such as Li-Ion storage for energy backups. Jaime offers intriguing insig...

When I heard that two legends of firefighting training Shan Raffel and CFBT Roy will be visiting my friend Szymon Kokot, I packed my stuff and went to meet them with a microphone and a ton of questions. What I received was a brilliant discussion on how firefighting instructors are trained - from the history of CFBT (Compartment Fire Behaviour Training) to modern approaches. Shan introduced his method for reading fire (BE SAHF - Building Environment Smoke Air-track Heat and Flame) and how it help...

Have you ever wondered how the understanding of AI can revolutionize the field of civil engineering? Today I am discovering this together with our own AI trendsetter, MZ Nasser. His latest book "Machine Learning for Civil and Environmental Engineers: A Practical Approach to Data-Driven Analysis, Explainability, and Causality" is the focal point of our conversation, illuminating the significance of explainable AI and the concept of causality. Our discourse with MZ dives straight into the practic...

What happens when fire meets a green facade? Tune in as we journey through the unexpected world of green facades and their interaction with fire. For the first time, I am sharing the story of how we built up an interest in this subject, first by my PhD student Jakub's burning question and a client's unique request for an office space resembling a jungle. For this job we have put green facades to the test with full-scale experiments, including the Polish facade method and Single Burning Item test...

If someone ever tells you they have modelled fire spread for a commercial project, with 20 cm grids and using generic materials from (old) FDS database, please do me a favour and redirect them to this episode. Because modelling fire is a seriously challenging thing. And by modelling, I really mean it. Not to apply a surrogate source based on a statistical overview of how fires looked like in the past for fuels of this kind. Not to omit half of the phenomena because they are too hard and in cone ...

In this episode dr. Francesco Restuccia from Kings College London takes me on a journey through different types of batteries, and what fire challenges relate to them. We discuss how the batteries burn, and how internal systems (Battery Management System) influence that behavior. From the size and type limitations to the potential perils of a cell thermal runaway, the fire spread in the whole batteries, and feedback loops that we need to understand to create safer systems. We'll also shed light o...

In the midst of horrible wildfire season around the globe, I have reached out to Prof. Albert Simeoni from Worcester Polytechnic Institute for some hands-on commentary on what is happening around, and why fires all over the globe are constantly on the front pages of mainstream media. I am not sure if I was ready for all the answers received (especially how media are biased to fires in certain parts of the world and pretty silent about others)... But they certainly are great food for thought in c...

It is time for some engineering fundamentals in the show. This time in the fire fundamentals series we delve into the details of natural and powered smoke ventilators - what they are, how they work, how they are tested and what interesting mechanics impact their performance in fire. I hope this episode is valuable for all engineers who would love to know how the devices they place in their design are tested and qualified for use in fire safety. It should also be a great way for fire scientists ...

in Episode 39 I had the pleasure to interview Bryan Klein from Thunderhead Engineering on some views and predictions for the near future of fire modelling. Even though it was only 1,5 year ago, some major things have already happened (release of Ventus - CONTAM GUI by Thunderhead) or snuck on us unseen as the large language model revolution. In this episode we discuss mostly the things that have happened in recent months, and how they can change the potential for fire engineering. The list of t...

Most fire engineers would be aware of how openings like doors and windows, the stack effect, and even wind can significantly alter fire outcomes. But there is a considerable difference between knowing that it does, and knowing how much that changes fire growth, size and the internal building environment. I've invited FSRIs dr Craig Weinschenk to discuss his years of full-scale research on fire flows. In this episode, we discuss different conditions that occur once the flow is established at win...

My knowledge about fire safety at sea was pretty limited, at best. I was planning this episode for a long time, and then the disastrous fire happened at a car carrier near the Netherlands coast. In light of these events, I've reached out to Bogdan Racięga of the Baltic Fire Laboratory, a Polish maritime fire safety expert to discuss this particular incident and to delve into the intricate aspects of fire safety regulations on marine vessels. Bogdan explains and highlights the critical role of t...

Energy storage systems are vital systems in fuel transition and as a part of technology responding to the challenges of climate change. Not only for their capability to store energy but also for exploring strategies like peak shaving or allowing for more distributed energy generation. In this discussion, we consider them as fixed storage systems but also recognize that moveable load such as vehicles poses similar challenges. Even though fire safety energy storage is still a part of academic dis...

In this week's series covering experimental fire science, we venture into a recently finished Code Red project by ARUP, led by my today's guest Dr Panos Kotsovinos. The project was carried out in CERIB with the collaboration of the Imperial College London. History will tell if this experiment will change fire science, but I truly believe it is at least worth sharing! The research was carried out on a large open-plan office (350m2) with a combustible CLT ceiling. It was a continuation of previou...

Ever wonder how scientists measure the intensity of a fire? Join us on this episode as we invite Dr. Matt Bundy from NIST. We discuss the intricacies of heat release rate, calorimetry, and how NIST is championing open data with their astonishing database. You can learn more about the database here: https://www.nist.gov/blogs/taking-measure/new-nist-fire-calorimetry-database-available-answer-your-burning-questions And find the database here: https://www.nist.gov/el/fcd I've tried to make this ...

In this episode, we uncover the intricate process of fire investigations with renowned combustion scientist and fire investigator, Dr. Richard J. Roby from Combustion Science and Engineering. With over five decades of experience in the field, Dr Roby helps us navigate the critical role of the scientific method in fire investigations. From the analysis of burn scars to the testimony of eyewitnesses, we explore the fascinating world of fire investigations, where data, evidence, and hypotheses com...

This time we try out something new! Instead of interviewing experts on subjects of their expertise, this time I took world-class risk specialists for a brainstorming session. And while sitting together, we discussed something out of this world - the fire safety of Mars habitats. This podcast episode is literally a recording of the conversation between the panellists, it is very unscripted and lightly edited. I really hope you will feel like a part of this conversation, and if you would like to ...