Introduction 介绍
Within This Page 本页内容
Fire protection engineers use science and technology to protect people and property from fire. When designing new buildings or renovations to existing buildings, fire protection engineers develop the plan for fire protection.
消防工程师利用科学技术保护人员和财产免受火灾侵害。在设计新建筑或对现有建筑进行翻新时，消防工程师会制定防火计划。
Fire protection engineering has evolved significantly over the past several centuries. Early application of fire protection engineering was intended to prevent conflagrations, which could destroy entire cities. Until the early 1900s, the primary objective of fire protection engineering was to limit a fire to its building of origin. As fire protection engineering advanced, this objective was refined to limit a fire to its object or room of origin.
在过去的几个世纪里，消防工程有了长足的发展。消防工程的早期应用旨在防止可能摧毁整个城市的大火。直到 1900 年代初，消防工程的主要目标是将火灾限制在其起源的建筑物内。随着消防工程的进步，这一目标被改进为将火灾限制在其物体或起火房间内。
However, it wasn't until the later part of the 20th century that fire protection engineering had matured to the point that it included the fundamental tenets of a distinct, professional discipline (Lucht, 1989).
然而，直到 20 世纪后期，消防工程才成熟到包括独特专业学科的基本原则的地步（Lucht，1989）。
Description 描述
A. Professional Definition
A. 专业定义
Fire protection engineering is the application of science and engineering principles to protect people and their environment from destructive fire, which includes:
消防工程是应用科学和工程原理来保护人类及其环境免受破坏性火灾的侵害，其中包括：
- analysis of fire hazards
火灾隐患分析 - mitigation of fire damage by proper design, construction, arrangement, and use of buildings
通过正确设计、建造、布置和使用建筑物来减轻火灾损失 - materials, structures, industrial processes, and transportation systems
材料、结构、工业流程和运输系统 - the design, installation and maintenance of fire detection and suppression and communication systems, and
火灾探测、灭火和通信系统的设计、安装和维护，以及 - post/fire investigation and analysis.
火灾后调查和分析。
A fire protection engineer by education, training, and experience:
受过教育、培训和经验的消防工程师：
- is familiar with the nature and characteristics of fire and the associated products of combustion
熟悉火的性质和特性以及相关的燃烧产物 - understands how fires originate, spread within and outside of buildings/structures, and can be detected, controlled, and/or extinguished, and
了解火灾如何起源、在建筑物/构筑物内外蔓延，以及可以被检测、控制和/或扑灭，以及 - is able to anticipate the behavior of materials, structures, machines, apparatus, and processes as related to the protection of life and property from fire.
能够预测与保护生命和财产免受火灾相关的材料、结构、机器、设备和过程的行为。
For more information on the role of the Fire Protection Engineer in the design of fire protection systems, see the SFPE Position Statement on The Engineer and the Technician: Designing Fire Protection Systems at www.sfpe.org.
有关消防工程师在消防系统设计中的作用的更多信息，请参阅SFPE关于工程师和技术人员的立场声明：www.sfpe.org 设计消防系统。
B. Professional Role in 'Whole Building' Design
B. 在“整体建筑”设计中的专业角色
Fire protection engineers exemplify the concept of "whole building design." Fire protection engineers design systems that, taken individually, could be considered mechanical (fire sprinklers, fire-fighter's standpipes, smoke control), electrical (fire alarm), architectural (means of egress design), or structural (fire resistance design).
消防工程师体现了“整体建筑设计”的概念。消防工程师设计的系统可以单独考虑，可以被认为是机械的（消防喷头、消防员的立管、烟雾控制）、电气（火灾报警器）、建筑（出口设计）或结构（耐火设计）。
When designed by fire protection engineers, these systems are coordinated into a comprehensive, fire and life safety strategy.
当由消防工程师设计时，这些系统被协调成一个全面的消防和生命安全战略。
It is beneficial to involve fire protection engineers in a design at the earliest stages of planning, generally at the feasibility or concept design stage. The benefits of involving a fire protection engineer at this stage include:
在规划的最早阶段（通常是在可行性或概念设计阶段）让消防工程师参与设计是有益的。在此阶段让消防工程师参与进来的好处包括：
- Greater design flexibility
更大的设计灵活性 - Innovation in design, construction, and materials
设计、施工和材料创新 - Equal or better fire safety
同等或更好的消防安全 - Maximization of cost/benefit
成本/效益最大化
Conversely, if a fire protection engineer is not brought in to a project team until after problems are identified, delays can result as the fire protection engineer analyzes the problem and develops solutions. At this stage there may be reduced design flexibility available and resistance to change by team members from other disciplines, if portions of the project design have been completed and decisions approved. This is particularly true in cases where fire protection problems are not identified until plans are submitted for regulatory approval.
相反，如果消防工程师在发现问题之前没有加入项目团队，则在消防工程师分析问题并制定解决方案时可能会导致延误。在这个阶段，如果项目设计的一部分已经完成并且决策已经获得批准，那么可用的设计灵活性可能会降低，并且来自其他学科的团队成员可能会抵制更改。在提交计划以供监管部门批准之前未发现消防问题的情况下尤其如此。
Additionally, fire protection engineers can ensure that security related provisions designed into a building do not diminish fire safety to occupants. For example, ensure that access control to a building does not also make it more difficult to quickly exit a building in the event of a fire or similar emergency.
此外，消防工程师可以确保设计到建筑物中的安全相关规定不会降低居住者的消防安全。例如，确保对建筑物的访问控制不会在发生火灾或类似紧急情况时使快速离开建筑物变得更加困难。
C. Strategies for Achieving "Whole Building" Design Objectives
C. 实现「整幢建筑」设计目标的策略
For most projects, fire protection engineering is largely practiced through the application of prescriptive codes and standards. For broad classifications of occupancies or fire hazards, prescriptive codes and standards identify, in very specific terms, exactly how individual fire protection systems are to be designed, installed, tested, and maintained.
对于大多数项目，消防工程主要是通过应用规范和标准来实施的。对于占用或火灾隐患的广泛分类，规范性规范和标准以非常具体的术语准确确定了如何设计、安装、测试和维护各个消防系统。
Prescriptive codes and standards have the benefit that they are easy to apply and enforce. Additionally, buildings designed to prescriptive codes and standards have a good history of performance in fires. However, they do not result in uniform levels of safety or cost-benefit. Consider, for example, stores classified as mercantile occupancies. A store that sells greeting cards would fall under this occupancy classification, as would a store that sold liquor in bottles. Although the protection that would be required in these stores would be similar, the fire hazard presented by these stores would be different.
规范性规范和标准的好处是它们易于应用和执行。此外，按照规范规范和标准设计的建筑物在火灾中具有良好的性能历史。但是，它们不会产生统一的安全或成本效益水平。例如，考虑被归类为商业占用的商店。销售贺卡的商店属于这种入住率分类，出售瓶装酒的商店也属于此入住率分类。尽管这些商店所需的保护是相似的，但这些商店带来的火灾危险会有所不同。
"Performance-based design" is a tool that can be used to look at fire safety from a "whole building" perspective. "Performance-based design" is an engineering approach to fire protection design based on (1) established fire safety goals and objectives, (2) analysis of fire scenarios, and (3) quantitative assessment of design alternatives against the fire safety goals and objectives using engineering tools, methodologies, and performance criteria (SFPE, 2000).
“基于性能的设计”是一种工具，可用于从“整个建筑”的角度看待消防安全。“基于性能的设计”是一种基于（1）既定的消防安全目标和目的，（2）火灾情景分析，以及（3）使用工程工具，方法和性能标准根据消防安全目标和目标对设计方案进行定量评估的消防设计方法（SFPE，2000）。
When using performance-based designs, fire safety goals for a building are identified. These goals may include life safety, property protection, mission continuity, and environmental protection. These goals are subsequently refined into quantitative measures of building performance through engineering analysis and consultation with building stakeholders, such as the building owner and code enforcement officials. Next, fire scenarios are established. Fire scenarios are descriptions of the types of fires from which the building is intended to provide protection.
The next step is the selection of design strategies. The types of fire protection strategies that are used in performance-based design are no different than those that are used when applying prescriptive codes, such as detection, suppression, egress, or fire endurance.
After fire protection strategies are developed, they are evaluated using engineering tools and models to determine whether the fire safety goals are met for each of the fire scenarios.
For most buildings, the entire building will not be designed on a performance basis. Much of the building will be designed using prescriptive codes, and for relatively simple buildings, all of the building will likely be designed using prescriptive codes. However, performance-based design offers opportunities to achieve desired aesthetics or functionality in a building. It also ensures that the fire performance of the whole building will be considered as more than an agglomeration of single systems.
Historically, performance-based design has been practiced by use of "equivalency" or "alternate methods and materials" clauses found in most prescriptive codes. These clauses permit the use of strategies other than those specified in the code, provided that they provide an equivalent or greater level of safety. Within the last few years, performance-based codes and design guides have been published. See following section, Emerging Issues.
Designing from a "whole building" approach does not require that design be on a performance-basis. It is necessary, however, that the design of fire protection-related systems be coordinated with each other and with other building systems and the overall building design.
D. Relationship to Building Systems and Relevant Codes and Standards
Fire protection engineers generally design the following types of systems:
- Fire sprinklers
- Standpipes
- Fire detection and alarm
- Special hazards systems, such as clean agents, water mist, or CO²
- Smoke management
Additionally, fire protection engineers frequently collaborate with other design professionals in the design of the following systems:
- Structural fire resistance
- Fire rated construction
- Means of egress
E. Interaction with Other Disciplines
Designing a building from a 'whole building' approach requires a fire protection engineer to coordinate the different types of fire protection that are designed into buildings including:
- coordination of sprinkler system zoning with fire alarm system zoning
- coordination of sprinkler system water flow and tamper switches with the fire alarm system
- coordination of fire alarm and egress system with building security
- coordination of smoke control systems with detection and HVAC system designs
- coordination of fire separations with architectural designs
- coordination of penetrations of fire rated assemblies with mechanical and electrical designs (e.g., piping, ductwork, and wiring penetrations)
- coordination of means of egress with architectural designs.
Emerging Issues
Performance-based design has been practiced for decades through the use of "equivalency" clauses and "alternate methods and materials" clauses found in most prescriptive codes. In these cases, performance-based design was applied on an ad-hoc basis, with the approach used developed between the designer and code enforcement official.
Over the last decade, performance-based design has become more formalized. In the U.S., several performance-based codes have been published, including the International Performance Code and performance-based options within the NFPA Building Construction and Safety Code and the NFPA Life Safety Code. Additionally, several guides have been published by the Society of Fire Protection Engineers that provide information intended to facilitate performance-based design, including the SFPE Engineering Guide to Performance-Based Fire Protection Analysis and Design of Buildings.
Performance-based design facilitates designing fire protection from a "whole building" perspective, as it requires that interactions between all fire protection systems with the building and its occupants be considered.
Additionally, in the wake of 9/11, several issues, such as structural fire protection and means of egress of high-rise buildings, are receiving increased attention. This attention may result in changes in the way buildings are designed, or an affirmation of current approaches.
Relevant Codes and Standards
Fire protection is impacted by a number of codes and standards. The most frequently used codes and standards include:
- National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
- NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems
- NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm Code
- NFPA 101, Life Safety Code
- NFPA 1, Uniform Fire Code
- NFPA also publishes several codes and standards which cover specific aspects of fire protection and fire related hazards.
- International Code Council
ASTM publishes several fire protection related standards through its E-5 committee.
Additional Resources
WBDG
Design Objectives
Aesthetics—Engage the Integrated Design Process, Secure / Safe—Plan for Fire Protection, Secure / Safe—Ensure Occupant Safety and Health
Professional Associations
- Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE)—The professional association for fire protection engineering. The association produces publications and education programs on subjects pertinent to fire protection engineering.
Organizations
- ASTM International—Through its E-5 committee, ASTM International, formally known as the American Society for Testing and Materials, publishes a number of fire test standards that address issues such as flame spread and structural fire resistance.
- International Code Council (ICC)—The mission of the ICC is to provide codes, standards, products, and services for all concerned with the safety and performance of the built environment. The ICC publishes model codes that are adopted throughout the United States. These include the International Building Code, the International Fire Code, and the International Performance Code.
- National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)—The mission of the NFPA is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating scientifically-based consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education. Established in 1896, NFPA publishes 300 codes and standards using a code-development process that is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)—The Building and Fire Research Laboratory at NIST conducts fire research and develops fire models. The NIST web page provides links to all recent NIST fire related publications and free downloads of all fire models published by NIST. Fire test data can also be downloaded from the NIST site.
- Underwriters Laboratories (UL)—is a product-safety testing and certification organization. UL tests and certifies a number of fire protection products for compliance with fire test standards.
Publications and Reference Books
- Fire Protection Handbook—provides valuable information on the basis for their codes and standards, and also provides information on some basic fire science. The National Fire Protection Association's codes and standards provide criteria associated with the design of fire safety in buildings.
- SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering is a comprehensive compendium of the fire science that underpins fire protection engineering. The Handbook provides information in the areas of the fundamental science and engineering concepts that are applied in fire protection engineering, fire dynamics, fire hazard calculations, design calculations, and fire risk analysis.
Several other publications related to fire protection engineering are available from www.sfpe.org.
Design and Analysis Tools
There are several computer models available that can be used to simulate fires. Primarily because they can be obtained for free, the most commonly used models are those that are published by NIST. However, several proprietary models are also available. Additionally, several tools are available to perform other types of fire protection calculations. The most widely used are sprinkler hydraulic calculation programs. There are also a number of programs available for performing calculations associated with the design of other types of fire protection systems. These programs are generally proprietary.
A comprehensive listing of fire models is available at www.firemodelsurvey.com.
Training
- Post graduate training
- Continuing education
In the United States, post-graduate education in fire protection engineering is available from the University of Maryland and Worcester Polytechnic Institute. While both programs are located on the east coast, both also offer distance-learning programs.
The two largest sources of continuing education are:
- The Society of Fire Protection Engineers provides courses on a number of aspects of fire protection engineering. Courses are offered in both classroom and distance-learning formats.
- The National Fire Protection Association offers a number of courses that are designed to help students better understand the codes and standards that NFPA publishes.
Additional Resources
- "Coming of Age," article in Journal of Fire Protection Engineering by Lucht, D. 1 (2), pp. 35-48. 1989.
- Engineering Guide—Performance-Based Fire Protection Analysis and Design of Buildings by National Fire Protection Association. Quincy, MA: SFPE, 2000.
- 2007 Profile of the Fire Protection Engineer– A survey conducted by the Society of Fire Protection Engineers.
