Undergraduate Course: Fire Science and Engineering 2 (CIVE08024)
Course Outline
| School | School of Engineering |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | This course provides a multidisciplinary introduction to fire science and fire dynamics covering fundamental science applicable to fire safety engineering in the built environment, manufacturing and process industries, and the natural environment. It considers the processes that govern how fires are behave and how they can be controlled through engineering design.
The course covers example case studies, fundamental fire science; including basic combustion chemistry, simple heat transfer, material flammability, smoke and fire plumes; as well as the principles of fire safety engineering.
The course is structured around a mix of taught material, self guided study, and tutorials. Group-based discussion and problem solving are encouraged. |
| Course description |
The course introduces the fundamental concepts and methods of fire science and fire safety engineering through lectures, self-study and tutorials.
Each week will feature a historical fire incident case study, and the lecture will explain what happened, discuss some of the underlying science, and present engineering approaches to preventing such incidents from happening in the future.
The lectures will explore topics including:
How big can a fire get?
Premixed flames and explosions
Thermal runaway
Flashover and thermal radiation
Fire spread (facades)
Fire spread (wildfire)
Structural response to fire
Human behaviour in fire
Fire Investigation
Weekly lectures introduce the topic and notes are provided for further study and to indicate additional references.
The tutorials are sandwiched in the middle of the lecture times. These provide opportunities for worked examples, discussion of questions, and feedback in the class.
|
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2025/26, Available to all students (SV1)
|
Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Lecture Hours 22,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 10,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
66 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
100 %,
Coursework
0 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Written Exam: 100%
The School has a 40% Rule for this course, whereby you must achieve a minimum of 40% in coursework and 40% in written exam components, as well as an overall mark of 40% to pass a course. If you fail a course you will be required to resit it. You are only required to resit components which have been failed. |
| Feedback |
Feedback is a two way process and requires engagement of students with the course material and the teaching staff.
Opportunities for feedback are present through discussions in lectures, and participation in tutorials/seminar sessions and office hours.
Each tutorial sheet has one question that may be submitted for evaluation and verbal feedback in the office hours. |
| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Minutes |
|
| Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May) | Fire Science and Engineering 2 | 120 | | | Resit Exam Diet (August) | Fire Science and Engineering 2 | 120 | |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Discuss the role of fire science and engineering in the design of engineering systems;
- Manipulate concepts related to the quantification of fire hazards and processes;
- Perform basic fire engineering calculations, recognising the associated limits of applicability;
- Critically appraise simple fire engineering designs.
|
Reading List
Required reading:
Drysdale, D., An Introduction to Fire Dynamics, Wiley, 2011.
Further reading:
Quintere, J., Fundamentals of Fire Phenomena, Wiley, 2006.
SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering, NFPA 2016.
|
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Fire Safety,Process Safety,Fire Safety Engineering |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Richard Carvel
Tel: (0131 6)51 3576
Email: Ricky.Carvel@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Lorna Couttie
Tel:
Email: lcouttie@ed.ac.uk |
|
|
University Homepage