Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Fire Load Density

  • Chapter
SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering

Abstract

The fire load has a strong influence on the fire development during a compartment fire and is a significant parameter in fire safety design methods. The assessment of the fire load is therefore an important task in fire safety engineering. This chapter reviews the methods to survey the fire load, discusses how variation during the life time of the building can be represented and how to derive design fire loads. An overview of past fire load surveys and a summary of fire load data for specific building types is provided as well.

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

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 869.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 1,099.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. CIB W14. Design Guide Structural Fire Safety. Fire Safety Journal. 1986;10:76–137.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Petterson O, Magnusson SE, Thor J. Fire Engineering Design of Steel Structures. Swedish Institute of Steel Construction; 1976.

    Google Scholar 

  3. CIB W81. Actions on Structures - Fire. CIB Report 1993.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Zalok E. Validation of Methodologies to Determine Fire Load for Use in Structural Fire Protection. The Fire Protection Research Foundation; 2011.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Culver C, Kushner J. A program for survey of fire loads and live loads in office buildings 1975.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Drysdale D. An Introduction to Fire Dynamics, 2nd Edition: John Wiley & Sons; 2002.

    Google Scholar 

  7. ISO 1716:2010. Reaction to fire tests for products—Determination of the gross heat of combustion (calorific value). International Organization for Standardization.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Beilicke G. Zusammenstellung von Heizwerten für die Brandlastberechnung: Staatsverlag der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik; 1987.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Bwalya AC. An Extended Survey of Combustible Contents in Canadian Residential Living Rooms. In: National Research Council Canada, editor. Ottawa, Canada: Institute for Research in Construction; 2004.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Krasny JF, Parker WJ, Babrauskas V. Fire behavior of upholstered furniture and mattresses: Noyes Publications; 2001.

    Google Scholar 

  11. VKF. Brandschutzerläuterung: Bewertung von Brandabschnittsgrössen—Sicherheitsnachweis bei industriellen und gewerblichen Nutzungen, Berechnungsverfahren. In: Feuerversicherungen VK, editor. 115-03d. Bern, Switzerland 2003.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Bwalya AC, Lougheed GD, Kashef A, Saber HH. Survey Results of Combustible Contents and Floor Areas in Multi-Family Dwellings. In: National Research Council Canada, editor. Ottawa, Canada: Institute for Research in Construction; 2008.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Di Nenno PJ. SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering, 3 ed., Quincy, MA, National Fire Protection Association, 2002.

    Google Scholar 

  14. EN 13501. Fire classification of construction products and building elements—Part 1: Classification using data from reaction to fire tests. 2010.

    Google Scholar 

  15. ISO 1182:2010. Reaction to fire tests for products—Non-combustibility test. International Organization for Standardization.

    Google Scholar 

  16. ISO 11925-2:2010. Reaction to fire tests—Ignitability of products subjected to direct impingement of flame—Part 2: Single-flame source test. International Organization for Standardization.

    Google Scholar 

  17. EN 1991. Eurocode 1: Actions on structures—Part 1-2: General actions—Actions on structures exposed to fire. 2002.

    Google Scholar 

  18. National Research Council Canada, International Code Council (USA), New Zealand. Dept. of Building and Housing, Australian Building Codes Board. International Fire Engineering Guidelines. In: ABCB, editor. Canberra 2005.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Hadjisophocleous GV, Chen Z. A Survey of Fire Loads in Elementary Schools and High Schools. Journal of Fire Protection Engineering. 2010;20:55–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Zalok E, Hadjisophocleous GV, Mehaffey JR. Fire loads in commercial premises. Fire and Materials. 2009;33:63–78.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Kumar S, Rao CVSK. Fire Loads in Office Buildings. Journal of Structural Engineering. 1997;123:365–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Kumar S, Rao CVSK. Fire load in residential buildings. Building and Environment. 1995;30:299–305.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Aburano K, Yamanaka H, Ohmiya Y, Suzuki K, Tanaka T, Wakamatsu T. Suvrvey and Analysis on Surface Area of Fire Load. Fire Science and Technology. 1999;19:11–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Kose S, Motishita Y, Hagiwara I, Tsukagoshi I, Matsunobu S, Kawagoe K. Survey of Movable Fire Load in Japanese Dwellings. Fire Safety Science—Proceedings of the Second International Symposium 1989.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Chow WK, Ngan SY, Lui GCH. Movable fire load survey for old residential highrise buildings in Hong Kong. Safety and Security Engineering 2007. p. 215–22.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Chow WK. Zone Model Simulation of Fires in Chinese Restaurants in Hong Kong. Journal of Fire Sciences. 1995;13:235–53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Claret AM, Andrade AT. Fire Load Survey of Historic Buildings: A Case Study. Journal of Fire Protection Engineering. 2007;17:103–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Thauvoye C, Zhao B, Klein J, Fontana M. Fire Load Survey and Statistical Analysis. Proceedings of the Ninth International Symposium on Fire Safety Science. Karlsruhe, Germany. 2008.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Korpela K, Keski-Rahkonen O. Fire Loads in Office Buildings. In: Society of Fire Protection Engineers, editor. 3rd International Conference on Performance-Based Codes and Fire Safety Design Methods. Lund, Sweden 2000. p. 278–86.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Köhler J, Klein J, Fontana M. Die Erhebung von Brandlasten in 95 Industrie- und Gewerbebauten. Bauphysik. 2006;28:360–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Klein J. Zum Verhalten von Tragwerken bei natürlicher Brandeinwirkung unter Berücksichtigung technischer Massnahmen. Zürich: ETH Zürich; 2008.

    Google Scholar 

  32. SIA Dok 81. Brandrisikobewertung—Berechnungsverfahren / Evaluation du risque d’incendie—Méthode de calcul. Schweizerischer Ingenieur- und Architekten-Verein, Brand-Verhütungs-Dienst für Industrie und Gewerbe, Vereinigung Kantonaler Feuerversicherungen; 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Schneider U, Max U. Brandlasterhebungen in Industrie-Stahlhallen. In: Studiengesellschaft für Anwendungstechnik von Eisen und Stahl e.V., editor. 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Halfkann K-H, Wiese J. Brandlastberechnung im Industriebau—Statistische Auswertung von über 3000 bearbeiteten Projekten—Einfluss der Neufassung der Norm DIN 18230 (Ausgabe 5/98)—Zukünftige Entwicklung von rechnerischen Verfahren. Erkelenz, Germany: Halfkann + Kirchner Sachverständigenbüro—Brandschutzingenieure; 1998. p. 34.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Schneider U, Max U. Baulicher Brandschutz im Industriebau—Kommentar zur DIN 18230 und Industriebaurichtlinie. 3 ed: Beuth Verlag; 2003.

    Google Scholar 

  36. DIN V 18230. Baulicher Brandschutz im Industriebau—Structural fire protection in industrial buildings. Berlin: DIN Deutsches Institut für Normung; 1987.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Structural Engineering, ETH Zurich, Stefano-Franscini-Platz 5, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland

    Mario Fontana & Gianluca De Sanctis

  2. Department of Structural Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491, Trondheim, Norway

    Jochen Kohler

  3. Matrisk GmbH, Alte Obfelderstrasse 50, 8910, Affoltern am Albis, Switzerland

    Katharina Fischer

Authors
  1. Mario Fontana
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jochen Kohler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Katharina Fischer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Gianluca De Sanctis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Aon Fire Protection Engineering, Greenbelt, MD, USA

    Morgan J. Hurley P.E., FSFPE (Editor-in-Chief) (Editor-in-Chief)

  2. Hughes Associates, Baltimore, USA

    Daniel Gottuk Ph.D., P.E.

  3. National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, USA

    John R. Hall Jr. Ph.D.

  4. Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan

    Kazunori Harada Dr. Eng.

  5. National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, USA

    Erica Kuligowski Ph.D.

  6. Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, USA

    Milosh Puchovsky P.E., FSFPE

  7. The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia

    José Torero Ph.D.

  8. The Fire Safety Institute, Quincy, USA

    John M. Watts Jr. Ph.D., FSFPE

  9. FM Global, Johnston, USA

    Christopher Wieczorek Ph.D.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Society of Fire Protection Engineers

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Fontana, M., Kohler, J., Fischer, K., De Sanctis, G. (2016). Fire Load Density. In: Hurley, M.J., et al. SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2565-0_35

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2565-0_35

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-2564-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-2565-0

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation