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BRANNSIKKERHET-Forsknings- og innovasjonssentre for brannsikkerhet

Fire Research and Innovation Centre

Alternative title: Fire Research and Innovation Centre

Awarded: NOK 30.0 mill.

Annually fires lead to major losses in terms of fatalities, injured people, and values. In response to this challenge, the Fire Research and Innovation Centre (FRIC) started in 2019. The main objective is to increase knowledge within the field of fire science in order to support decisions and develop better solutions providing increased fire safety in buildings. FRIC shall strengthen cooperation and lead to a long-term increase of competence and knowledge within the fire safety field. Multidisciplinary collaboration is a prerequisite for the development of good solutions in the centre. FRIC is led by RISE Fire Research in Trondheim, with NTNU and SINTEF as research partners. The research centre has partners from the public sector, consultancy engineers, manufacturers of building materials and building installations, and within real estate development and management. The research is organised in four work packages (WPs). All publications, included recordings of webinars, are available on the webpage https://fric.no/en. WP 1: Knowledge-based decision support in fire safety. In the project Learning from fires, a study of who is involved in fire investigations in Norway, and which conditions that promote or inhibit joint learning from fires has been performed. A report from the analysis of an intense fire in an apartment building for social housing in Bergen is published. WP 2: Fire dynamics and modelling. In the project Modelling of turbulence-chemistry interactions at reduced oxygen concentrations, an article has been published on model formulations for flames with weak turbulence and late reactions. In the project Smouldering: Effects of cooling, results from small-scale and medium-scale experiments are now reported and prepared for publication. In the project Pyrolysis, gasification, formation and disperion of toxic gases and fumes from fires, two series of experiments have been carried out, and the preparation of an article for publication will be ready by the end of 2023. WP 3: Building technology and design. In the project Novel construction materials, a number of fire tests have been carried out to study the fire properties of various types of combustible insulation. An article with results from fire experiments of I-joists insulated with combustible insulation was published in 2023. “Guideline - Fire resistance upgrade of cultural heritage doors” has been published in both English and Norwegian verdions, and also as a scientific article. Two fire experiments in a large room with visible CLT elements were carried out in the Timber Structures project. The results are published in two scientific papers, and also presented at the World Conference of Timber Engineering 2023. A scientific article on numerical modelling of the experiments has been submitted for publication. A report with guidelines for analytical fire design of larger wooden buildings is ready for publication. WP 4: Fire safety measures and new technology. The project Fire extinguishment includes a study of extinguishing equipment that provide effective, gentle and environmentally friendly firefighting. A scientific article describing the effect of fixed sprinkler and water mist systems on façade fires has been submitted for publication. Experiments with various extinguishing systems for batteries have recently been carried out, and the results are now being analysed and reported. In the project Personal protective equipment for firefighters, a test method for documenting penetration of smoke particles through the clothing of firefighters is under development. Results from experiments on how exposure to heat affects thermal stress and workload in firefighters during simulated smoke diving have been presented to several fire departments, and at an international conference. In the project Fire safety measures for dwellings, measures have been mapped with a focus on people at risk in a fire situation. Experiments to find simple, cost-effective solutions to improve fire properties of upholstered furniture have been carried out, and an article is ready for publication. Based on smoke detection experiments, guidelines are drawn up for how various technical and human aspects should be assessed in order to reduce the number of false fire alarms in homes. A report on how fire brigades in Norway communicate fire safety to the public has been published, and the effect the mascot “Brannbamsen Bjørnis” has on fire safety in Norwegian homes is under review. In the project Building integrated energy systems and SMART technology, fire safety in connection with PV installations on buildings has been investigated through experiments and simulations. The goal is to find installation methods for PV installations that do not lead to unacceptable consequences in the event of a fire in a building. Other technologies, such as energy storage and production, vehicle-to-grid technology, and smart ventilation systems, are also assessed with a focus on fire safety.

The FRIC centre vision is to contribute significantly to improved fire safety of people, reduced risks for fire and rescue services, reduced fire loss of properties and values, and reduced negative impact on the environment. The primary objective is to provide a knowledge base and transferable tools to make better evidence-based decisions to improve fire safety in a cost-efficient way. The main R&D challenges addressed include: - Enhancing fundamental understanding of fire dynamics and validation and improvement of models. - Improving building technology and design: Timber structures, including fire safety during construction; novel building designs, construction materials and products; new, sustainable energy solutions and smart technologies; and building information models. - Improving fire safety measures: Extinguishing systems in buildings; extinguishing systems for external fire protection; extinguishing equipment for fire fighters; fire detection; personal protective equipment for fire fighters; and analysis of the efficiency of fire safety measures, especially for vulnerable groups. FRIC delivers high impact findings beyond the state-of-the-art in the centre's research and innovation areas. New approaches, tools, models, data, etc. are developed that can readily be incorporated into end user partners' and others’ fire safety and fire protection related decision-making activities. FRIC achieves and maintains scientific and technical excellence, as demonstrated through publication in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings. Centre results and advances provide data, recommendations and guidance in support of new and better rules, regulations, test methods and standards for fire safety in society. FRIC partners and collaborators include leading research and academic institutions, and a diverse group of public and private sector organizations. 3 PhD-candidates and 20 MSc students are trained in the first 5 years of the centre.

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BRANNSIKKERHET-Forsknings- og innovasjonssentre for brannsikkerhet