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Introduction to Fire Engineering. Fire ignition, flame spread and flame height. The performance of construction materials and fire resistance. People movement and behaviour during fires. Fire detection, suppression and smoke extract systems. Wildland fires, fire investigation, fire-fighting.
This course provides an introduction to fire engineering. The course is generally required for students who are looking to pursue the Masters of Engineering in Fire Engineering (MEFE) / Masters of Engineering Studies in Fire Engineering (MEngSt(Fire)) post-graduate degrees. The course aims to:(a) provide an understanding of the hazards of fires in buildings and the dynamics of fire development;(b) describe the performance of building materials and structures in fire;(c) develop knowledge of the active and passive fire protection measures available to building designers;(d) examine how people behave in fire situations and(e) cover other fire science and engineering topics of interest such as wildfires, fire investigation etc.
Subject to approval of the Director of Studies
Michael Spearpoint
The course will also be assessed through 4 assignments which are to be handed-in on the designated dates. Assignments can be completed individually or in pairs. If students elect to complete assignments in pairs then the same grade will be given to both people except in exceptional circumstances. Students do not have to work in the same pair for each submission and can elect to submit some assignments individually and some as part of a pair. Working in groups larger than pairs is not permitted and the rules regarding plagiarism remain in place. The correct use of English, appropriate units etc. will be required.There will be a 1-hour mid-term test and a 3-hour examination. The test will cover material up to and including the ‘Building fire spread’ module. The final exam will cover all of the course material. Students are permitted to bring two sides of A4 hand-written notes into the exam.Assignments:• Assignments must be submitted as a complete document. A collection of spreadsheets etc. is not acceptable and unacceptable submissions will be returned unmarked.• You should describe your problem, your approach, properly reference any literature that you consult etc.• Assignments can be typed or handwritten so long as they are legible.• Correct use of English, appropriate units etc. are required.Students must achieve a minimum of 40% in the exam to pass the course.Late submissions will close 20% of the total mark per day or part of day.
Quintiere, James G; Principles of fire behavior ; Delmar Publishers, 1998.
Spearpoint, Michael. , New Zealand Centre for Advanced Engineering; Fire engineering design guide ; 3rd ed; New Zealand Centre For Advanced Engineering, 2008.
Lecture handouts will be generally made available on Learn
Domestic fee $808.00
International fee $4,550.00
* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.
For further information see Civil and Environmental Engineering .