Build International Testing Standards for Large Outdoor Fire

Large -scale fire incidences are increasing, with the flames that have increased to the widespread devastation seen in Greece in 2023 and 2024. The blurred line between urban and wild areas means that these events will continue to carry forward.

Scientists dub this type of fire to the Wildland Urban Interface Fire (WUI), and they differ from the traditional wildfire. While wildfires are limited to burning vegetation fuel in uninhabited areas, Wui fire includes vegetable fuel combustion as well as man-made fuel combustion: gasoline cars; EV battery cells, and the gas that we use to cook or to heat our house to heat the dangers not seen in the wildfire.

In the light of this danger, Professor of Tohoku University Samuel L. The visiting Manzello is working to harmonize the international test standards for the large outdoor fire, including the WUI fire.

The details were Published In the journal Fire and materials On December 8, 2024.

“Even though many countries are experiencing spikes in Wui fire, very few people have any standard or code for these fire,” says Manzello. “Without better preparation, we can expect more destruction, as seen in Mau in 2023.”

Integration of international standards

Following an incident of fire events in California in the early 2000s, the office of State Fire Marshall began to detect Wui fire in more detail. They wanted to develop building code standards for those in urban fire prevention. Nevertheless, the limited scientific understanding of Wui’s fire disrupted his efforts, with the best estimates built on estimates.

To address this, ASTM International sponsored a workshop in 2015, bringing researchers, building code authorities and representatives of the industry together. Similarly, the International Organization for standardization worked with Fire Safety (ISO TC92) and International Association for Fire Safety Science (IAFSS), sponsoring a similar workshop, where he made a growing problem of Wui fire more globally. Tried to address. Meanwhile, the International Forum of Fire Research Directors released a status paper that focused on the threat of the WUI fire.

The confluence of the initiatives gave birth to a large outdoor fire and the built-in environmental work group (ISO-TC92/TG03), where Manzelo was appointed as convenor. Its mandate was to develop international standards and technical documents for ISO TC92, so that the effect is reduced by large external fire.

“It was a big innings,” says Manzello. “Till then, the ISO TC92 was mainly focused on the fire occurring inside the buildings.”

Powering fire safety through research

From there, the ISO-TC92/TG03 began developing roadmaps to address large external fire including WUI fire. After a workshop in the Netherlands in 2018, the ISO TC92 voted, formed a formal work group, called The Large Outdoor Fire and Built Environment Task Group, ISO TC92/WG14. Manzello, again, was appointed convenor.

In 2022, the group published ISO TR/24188, with a global observation of various approaches for large outdoor fire and manufactured atmosphere – manufactured atmosphere. The report provided an observation of global testing methods to assess how weakened buildings for large external fire. It also provides insight into land-use management practices.

The document includes definitions. Wui’s fire is a type of large outdoor fire, as well as with other types, wildland fire, informal disposal fire, urban fire, and fire are included due to natural disasters such as tsunamis and volcanic explosions. In this February, the second edition of the ISO TR/22188 was published, which further refines large external fire definitions.

“The spread of large outdoor fire is not limited to the well -defined boundaries in the building fire. Radiation, or firebrands, “Call Manzelo.

These reports have benefited from the ISO Firebrand Generator, invented by Manzelo and Associate Professor Sayaka Suzuki from the Institute of Science Tokyo. The surname ‘The Dragon’, the device Wildland-urban-Interface (WUI) produces firebrand shower, wildland fire and constant firebrand shower seen in urban fire.

The workgroup is also working on a new standard for post—-data collection, known as ISO/AWI 24944. This standard will review the existing studies on the WUI regions, urban fire, post -earthquake fire and informal settlement fire in the fire. The goal is to create a consistent method to collect data after large outdoor fire, which will help to assess and compare fire proliferation and damage globally.

Another important project is ISO/AWI 25399, aimed at coating the methods of testing for thermal flux exposure in large outdoor fire. This includes both direct flame contact and thermal radiation. While different countries have their own methods, this new standard will create an integrated approach to better global stability.

Further, the ISO TC92/WG14 is considering developing a firebrand shower test methods for decorative vegetation, wet grass and manufacturing components. The group aims to detect demonstration-based design methods from traditional building fire standards to improve flexibility against large external fire.