Skip to main content
Log in

Probabilistic approach to fire risk evaluation

  • Published:
Fire Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Probabilistic techniques offer rational methods of dealing with the randomness of fire risk and effectiveness of firesafety measures. In this paper the state of the art in these techniques is reviewed with examples illustrating the use of fire statistics in evaluating the parameters of these models. Methods discussed include exponential model of fire growth, probability distribution of damage, and stochastic model of fire spread. The estimates provided by these models can be used in conjunction with an engineering method for a probabilistic treatment of deterministic predictions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Watts, J.M.,Fire Safety Journal Vol. 11, 1986, pp.127–134.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Ramachandran, G.,Fire Safety Journal Vol. 2, 1979/80, pp.125–145.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Fire Statistics United Kingdom, Home Office, London, 1985.

  4. Ramachandran, G., in Statistical Distributions in Scientific Work, Vol. 2, G.P. Patil et al. (eds), D. Reidel, Dordrecht, Holland, 1975.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Williamson, R.B.,Fire Safety Journal Vol. 3, 1981, pp. 243–259.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Ramachandran, G., “Stochastic Model of Fire Spread,” CIB Workshop on Mathematical Modelling of Fire Growth, Paris, 1981.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Fitzgerald, R.W.,Fire Safety Journal Vol. 9, 1985, pp.233–243.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Rutstein, R.,Fire Surveyor Vol. 8, No. 2, 1979, pp. 21–25.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Benktander, G.,ASTIN Bulletin Vol. 7, 1973, pp.119–136.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Apostolakis, G.,Nuclear Engineering and Design Vol. 71, 1982, pp. 375–381.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Butcher, G.,Fire Engineers Journal Vol. 47, No.144, 1987, pp.11–14.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Ramachandran, G., Information Paper IP27/80, 1980, Building Research Establishment, Fire Research Station, Borehamwood, Herts., U.K.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Thomas, P.H., Current paper No.32/74, 1974, Building Research Establishment, Fire Research Station, Borehamwood, Herts., U.K.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Labes, W.G.,Fire Technology Vol. 2, No. 4, 1966, pp. 287–297.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Heskestad, G., “Engineering Relations for Fire Plumes,” Society of Fire Protection Engineers, Technology Report 82-8, 1982.

  16. Ramachandran, G.,Proceedings of the First International Symposium on Fire Safety Science Hemisphere Publishing Corporation, New York, 1986, pp.657–666.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Friedman, R.,Fire and Materials Vol. 2, No. 1, 1978, pp. 27–33.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Ramachandran, G., and Chandler, S.E.,Fire Surveyor Vol. 13, No. 2, 1984, pp. 8–14.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Shpilberg, D.C., Technical Report No. 22431, 1974, Factory Mutual Research Corporation, Norwood, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Aitchison, J., and Brown, J.A.C.,The Log Normal Distribution, Monograph No.5, 1969, Department of Applied Economics, University of Cambridge.

  21. Ramachandran, G.,Fire Safety Journal Vol. 5, 1982, pp. 59–76.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Rogers, F.E., Current Paper No. CP9/77, 1977, Building Research Establishment, Fire Research Station, Borehamwood, Herts., U.K.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Shpilberg, D.C., Paper for 12th ASTIN Colloquium, 1975, Report RC75-TP-36, Factory Mutual Research Corporation.

  24. Theil, H.,Statistical Decomposition Analysis with Application in the Social and Administrative Sciences, North-Holland, Amsterdam 1972.

  25. Ramachandran, G.,ASTIN Bulletin Vol. 8, 2, 1975, pp. 229–241.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Gretener, M., “Attempt to Calculate the Fire Risk of Industrial and Other Objects,” Third International Fire Protection Symposium, Eindhoven.

  27. Nelson, H.E., and Shibe, A.J., “A System for Fire Safety Evaluation of Health Care Facilities,” Report NBS IR78-1555, Gaithersburg, Maryland, U.S.A.

  28. Williamson, R.B.,Fire Safety Journal Vol. 3, 1981, pp. 243–259.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Kanury, A.M.,Fire Safety Journal Vol. 12, 1987, pp. 65–74.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Berlin, G.N.,Fire Technology, November 1980, pp. 287–302.

  31. An Application of the Systems Approach to Estimating Levels of Fire Safety, NFPA Interim Technical Report, Nov. 1976, Dept. of Housing and Urban Development.

  32. Ramachandran, G., in Fire Safety: Science and Engineering, ASTM STP882, T.Z. Harmathy, ed., Philadelphia, 1985, pp.122–144.

  33. Aoki, Y., Research Paper No.80, 1978, Building Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Williamson, R.B., inSixteenth Symposium (International) on Combustion The Combustion Institute, Pittsburgh, 1976, pp.1357–1371.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Ling, W.C.T., and Williamson, R.B., “The Modelling of Fire Spread Through Probabilistic Networks,” Contract No. W-7405-ENG-48, 1981, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory.

  36. Elms, D.G., and Buchanan, A.H., Research Report R-35, 1981, Building Research Association of New Zealand, Judgeford, New Zealand.

    Google Scholar 

  37. Beck, V.R.,Fire Safety Journal Vol. 12, 1987, pp. 121–138.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Fahy, R.F.,Fire Safety Journal Vol. 9, 1985, pp.189–203.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ramachandran, G. Probabilistic approach to fire risk evaluation. Fire Technol 24, 204–226 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01038178

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01038178

Key words

Navigation