$1.2-Million Building Fire Safety Research Program Launched at Carleton University

Human behaviour will be investigated

Tom Brzustowski, President of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), today joined Carleton University Vice-President (Research), Dr. Ferudin Hamdullahpur, in inaugurating Carleton University's new Industrial Research Chair in Fire Safety Engineering. NSERC will contribute $610,500 over five years to the program with a further $604,000 to come from Forintek Canada Corporation and the Canada Wood Council.

The goal of the research is to develop a comprehensive new system for evaluating fire risk in buildings. Initially, research will focus on the development of computer models to predict how light-frame wood designs stand up to the ravages of fire.

However, maximizing the fire-safety of building designs and materials is not the sole focus of the work, according to chairholder Dr. George Hadjisophocleous. "Human behaviour will constitute a large part of the research. Contrary to popular assumption and cinema, people tend not to panic in emergency situations. New findings show that we are usually very rational when confronted with a fire incident." 

The tools to be developed by this research will help engineers and architects meet new building codes that are about to be adopted in Canada. The existing codes are 'prescriptive-based,' namely, they specify what materials, designs and systems must be used. The new 'objective-based' codes will define the fire-safety goals to which materials, designs and systems must conform, thus leaving the designer free to choose from a range of appropriate options.

"Carleton University is to be congratulated for launching a research effort that could pay off with a big impact on building design and public safety. We are very pleased that Dr. Hadjisophocleous will be leading it," said NSERC president, Dr. Tom Brzustowski.

Dr. George Hadjisophocleous comes to the post from the National Research Council where he was Senior Research Officer and Group Leader in the Fire Risk Management Progam of the Institute for Research and Construction.

Forintek Canada Corporation was established in 1979 through the privatization of Canada's Forests' Products Laboratory, to serve as the vehicle for wood products' research within Canada. A non-profit organization, it is funded through industrial membership, the federal government and six provincial governments. Its other revenues come from contracts for the conduct of research in diverse areas related to lumber, building and manufacturing.

NSERC (the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada) invests in people, discovery and innovation and is the national instrument for making strategic investments in Canada's capability in science and technology.

Francis Lionnet
Public Affairs Officer
NSERC Communications
Tel: (613) 992-9001
E-mail: francis.lionnet@nserc.ca

Professor George Hadjisophocleous
Carleton University
Tel: (613) 520-5801
E-mail: GEORGE_HADJISOPHOCLEOUS@ccs.carleton.ca