• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.94-102
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• 2018

Recently, there is a growing need to review compliance with legal requirements to ensure fire safety as the number of fires caused by noncompliant fire safety facilities in high-rise buildings has increased. While there are a large number of apartment buildings in Korea, there is a lack of review on fire safety facilities' compliance with fire safety requirements. The reason for this lack of review despite apartment buildings causing deaths due to their structural features in the event of a fire, lies in the misinterpretation of legal provisions as the Building Act and the Fire Services Act are mixed up; a final inspection when fire safety facilities are unnecessarily installed or missing could result in significant losses in terms of finances and time. Therefore, this study developed a checklist that makes it possible to review mixed-up legal requirements for fire safety facilities simultaneously, and examined the importance and current level of each item through IPA (Importance Performance Analysis). Based on these results, this study intends to develop a manual that considers its applicability to construction practices and contribute to reducing construction companies' fire safety inspection risks.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.105-115
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• 2017

PURPOSES : The occurrence of unexpected disasters, including fire events, increases as the road network becomes complicated and traffic volume increases. When a fire event occurs on and under bridges, the damage extensively influences direct damage to structures, vehicles, and human life and secondary socioeconomic issues owing to traffic blockage. This study investigated potential fire-hazard risks on bridges of the Korean national route road. METHODS : The investigation was conducted using field investigation and analysis with satellite pictures and road views from commercial websites and the Bridge Management System (BMS). From the filed investigation, various potential fire resources were identified. The satellite pictures and road views were helpful in measuring and recognizing conditions underneath bridges, stowage areas, etc. RESULTS : There are various potential fire resources underneath bridges such as piled agricultural products, parked petroleum tanks, construction equipment, and attached high-voltage cables. A total of 94.6% of bridges have underneath clearances of less than 15 m. A bridge underneath volume that can stow a potential fire hazard resource was $7,332m^3$ on average, and most bridges have about $4,000m^3$ of space. Based on the BMS data, the amounts of PSC and steel girders were 29% and 25%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS : It was found that the amount of stowed potential fire hazard resources was proportional to the underneath space of bridges. Most bridges have less than 15 m of vertical clearance that can be considered as a critical value for a bridge fire. The fire risk investigation results should be helpful for developing bridge fire-protection tools.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.71-79
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• 2017

A rack warehouse with a vertically loading type and high loading density has severe risks and damage during its fire. In this regard, US and Japan strive to minimize the fire spread by applying in-rack sprinkler, horizontal barriers, etc. corresponding to their own rack warehouse but there is no study and policy in Korea. Therefore, a model scale fire test was carried out targeting the standard rack incorporating the national rack warehouse in order to check fire characteristics in ignition points and installation distances of horizontal barriers in this study. As a result of the test, vertical fire spread of about 30% was inhibited by narrowing its installation distance from 2-layer to 1-layer in an ignition condition of the flue space. In addition, as a result of the measurement of the temperature in the upper and lower parts of the horizontal barrier, the temperature distribution showed about 2~4 higher in a condition with an installation of the barrier than that in the condition without the barrier. Consequently, it is likely that the horizontal barrier will help the initial operation of in-rack sprinkler.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.284-290
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• 2020

Background: Prevalence rates of smokeless tobacco (SLT) use among firefighters are remarkably high and substantially higher than similar occupational groups and the general U.S. population. The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of fire service personnel regarding cancer and its associations with tobacco and SLT use. Methods: This descriptive study used a qualitative approach. Key informant interviews were conducted in 39 career firefighters and fire service administration from across the U.S. Discussion were recorded, transcribed verbatim and transferred to NVivo software for narrative analysis. Topics explored included cancer perceptions, attitudes and beliefs, and cultural factors related to SLT use behaviors. Results: Major themes that emerged among fire service personnel included concerns about cancer and its risk factors including firefighting tasks, such as fire overhaul operations, and from their lifestyle behaviors, such as alcohol and tobacco use. Firefighters also suggested a number of reasons for their increased SLT use, such as fire department tobacco-free policy and fire service culture. Conclusion: The current study provides a rich foundation for future research, prevention, and intervention efforts for the fire service and research communities regarding tobacco and SLT use and cancer risk. Additional research on firefighters' cancer beliefs deserves future research in order to improve messaging about the risks of cancer due to firefighting.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.89-96
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• 2010

In this research, exterior material combustion experiment was really tested to evaluate fire risks of aluminium complex panel which is used a lot for building exterior material. As a result, We saw fast fire spreading of aluminium complex panel. The reason is polyethylene in aluminum complex panel combust spreading fast fire flame vertically. In this test, the highest heat release rate of aluminum complex panel was 1,144 kW and surface temperature which is measured by thermocouple went up to more than $903.3^{\circ}C$, that temperature is quite a higher than $660^{\circ}C$ which is aluminum melting temperature. So, fire of aluminum complex panel can be evaluated to give us severe damage both by fast fire spreading vertically and by fire spreading through openings internally. These results from real experiment will be able to use to predict fire spreading of aluminum complex panel by comparing to modeling materialization of aluminum complex panel in the future.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.58 no.3
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• pp.356-361
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• 2020

Propylene is widely used in petrochemical manufacturing at over 200 ℃. However, since propylene is a flammable gas with fire and explosion risks, inert nitrogen is injected to prevent them. In this study, experiments were conducted using propylene-nitrogen-oxygen upon pressure changes at 200 ℃. At 21% oxygen, as pressure increased from 0.10 MPa to 0.25 MPa, lower explosion limit (LEL) decreased from 2.2% to 1.9% while upper explosion limit (UEL) increased from 14.8% to 17.6%. In addition, minimum oxygen concentration (MOC) decreased from 10.3% to 10.0%, indicating higher risks with the expanded explosive range as pressure increased. With increase of pressure from 0.10 MPa to 0.25 MPa, explosion pressure increased from 1.84 MPa to 6.04 MPa, and the rate of rise of maximum explosion pressure increased drastically from 90 MPa/s to 298 MPa/s. It is hoped that these results can be used as basic data to prevent accidents in factories using propylene.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.133-140
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• 2013

Recently developed a variety of architectural interior decoration according hwadoeme type of toxic gases generated during fire also are becoming diversified, resulting in fatal casualties occurred in the trend is also being increased. During a fire, toxic gas that is generated varies depending on the combustible material occurs. However, all combustible materials, including carbon, incomplete combustion of carbon monoxide which is generated in the most common toxic gases can be seen as one. Accordingly, in this study of organic solids that are generated in case of fire toxic gases, and briefly discuss the characteristics of the risks and, by far the most common Co gas for measures to prevent human casualties, seolbijeok, the temperature dependence, divided into four aspects of administrative daechaekdeung explained.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.19-26
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• 2018

Experiments on the combustion characteristics of untreated wood specimens and also treated ones with boric acid and ammonium pentaborate were carried out using a cone calorimeter according to ISO 5660-1 standard. As a result, comparing to untreated specimen, the fire performance index (FPI) of the specimens treated with boron compounds increased by 1.2 to 2.1 times and the fire growth index (FGI) increased by 1.6 to 8.4%. Also, total smoke release rate (TSR) was 9.0 to 28.3% lower than that of the untreated specimen. It is understood that the test specimens treated with the boron compound produces a carbonized layer with a flame retarding effect. The highest CO concentration, 0.01112%, for the untreated specimen was observed at 418 s, but the specimens treated with boron compound decreased 13.2 to 37.5% compared to untreated specimen. Therefore, wood treated with boron compounds is expected to have lower fire hazards and risks.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Hazard Mitigation
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.9-13
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• 2011

The Performance-based fire protection design required to construct super high-rise building is the active measure for the evaluation of fire risks and the establishment of fire protection systems on the basis of engineering analysis, which is more efficient and proper than existing prescriptive-based design. This study applied time-line analysis of RSET is required safe egress time and ASET is available safe egress time with the fire and evacuation simulation to analyze. The result of this study showed the sprinkler system increased ASET and fire detection and alarm system reduced RSET efficiently. Reduced evacuation time influences to secure the life safety. Also it is essential to maintain the fire suppression system and fire detection & alarm system properly. Database of fire movement and evacuation action program are useful for the performance-based design.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.404-410
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to find the optimal arrangement of FPSO equipment in a module while considering the economic value and fire risk. We estimated the economic value using the pipe connections and pump installation cost in an HP (high pressure) gas compression module. The equipment risks were also analyzed using fire scenarios based on historical data. To consider the wind effect during a fire accident, fuzzy modeling was applied to improve the accuracy of the analysis. The objective functions consisted of the economic value and fire risk, and the constraints were the equipment maintenance and weight balance of the module. We generated a Pareto-optimal front group using a multi-objective GA (genetic algorithm) and suggested an equipment arrangement method that included the opinions of the designer.