Risk Assessment of Urban Fire—Method for the Analysis and Management of Existing Buildings

Abstract

Fire Protection and Safety in Buildings is a delicate matter with recognized importance and ample opportunity for development, particularly regarding the analysis and/or interventions in existing buildings. Fire Protection and Safety in Buildings (FS) is of added importance in older buildings whose building typology followed a lower legislative requirement vis-à-vis the legislative requirements in effect today, thus giving these buildings greater vulnerability. Interventions in such buildings should be based on an assessment of Fire Risk in order to better gauge the degree of safety and identify key shortcomings, so the most appropriate measures can be adopted in order to reduce risk to acceptable levels. Considering the recurrence of casualties resulting from urban fires, the study of Fire Risk of buildings is urgent, especially in older urban centers. The aim is to produce a map detailing risk as well as intervention plans that allow for a better response and mitigation of the effects of urban fires. The CHICHOrRO method—a new approach to urban fire risk assessment—is introduced in this paper. Its application to buildings in the historic district of Porto is also described.