Grand Challenges: Understanding the Impact of Wind on Fire Dynamics in Mass-Timber Compartment

Summary:

The emergence of new mass-timber technologies with potential economic and sustainability benefits has led to the proposal and/or construction of tall mass-timber buildings worldwide. Unlike compartments constructed of noncombustible materials, the fuel provided by the exposed engineering timber contributes to the fire development in a mass timber compartment. This project aims to generate a holistic, deep understanding of the impact of wind on the fire dynamics in mass-timber compartments and provide reliable modeling techniques and simplified methods for modeling or estimating mass-timber compartment fires for both windy and windless environments.

PI: Shuna Ni (ENGR),
Assistant Professor, Fire Protection Engineering