10th International Conference on Structures in Fire
6-8 June 2018
Titanic Belfast
5 June Welcome reception
On behalf of FireSert, Ulster University welcomes you to the 10th International Conference on Structures in Fire.
More information
SiF 2018
The 10th International Conference on Structures in Fire will be hosted by the Fire Safety Engineering Research and Technology Centre (FireSERT), Ulster University.
Registration is now open for Structures in Fire International Conference 2018.
The main focus of the SiF conference is to provide an opportunity for researchers, practitioners and engineers to share their "structures in fire" research, technology and expertise with their peers in an international forum.
Allowing papers to be submitted only a few months before the conference, permits the most current scholarships to be presented.
In addition to high quality state-of-the-art presentations, the SiF 2018 conference will place significant value on discussions both formally, following presentations and informally through receptions, meals and breaks at Belfast's Titanic centre and the Waterfront Hall.
Previous conferences
SiF hosted its first international workshop in Denmark in 2000, followed by workshops in New Zealand (2002), Canada (2004) and Portugal (2006).
These events were renamed as international conferences on Structures in Fire held in Singapore (2008), Untied States (2010), Switzerland (2012), China (2014) and USA (2016).
We hope you will join us as SiF travels back to the United Kingdom in June 2018.
Previous conference information can be viewed at http://www.structuresinfire.com
Important dates
- 3 July 2017 - Submission of extended abstracts opens
- 31 July 2017 - Registration opens (early bird discount until 1 April 2018)
- 22 December 2017 - Submission on extended abstracts closes
- 31 January 2018 - Notification of acceptance abstracts to authors
- 20 March 2018 - Submission of full papers
- 1 April 2018 - Early bird registration ends
- 5 June 2018 - Welcome reception
- 6 June 2018 - Conference begins
Committee Members
Organising Committee
- Prof Ali Nadjai (Chair)
- Prof Faris Ali
- Dr Karen Boyce
- Dr Jianping Zhang
- Dr Nigel McConnell
- Dr Talal Fateh
- Dr Eleni Asimakopoulou
- Mr Maurice McKee
- Mrs Heather Griffitths
- Mrs Sadie Magee
Steering Committee
- Prof Jean-Marc Franssen, University of Liege, Belgium
- Kang Hai Tan, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
- Prof Kodur Venkatesh, Michigan State University, USA
- Prof Paulo Vila Real, University of Aveiro, Portugal
Scientific Committee
Chairman
Jean-Marc Franssen
University of Liege, Belgium
m.franssen@ulg.ac.beTrack 1: Applications of Structural Fire Safety Engineering
Name Affiliation Country Kang Hai Tan Nanyang Technological University Singapore Daniel Joyeux Efectis France France Florian Block Buro Happold UK Olivier Vassart Arcelor Mittal Luxembourg Susan Lamont Arup UAE Tom Lenon BRE UK Frantisek Wald Czech Technical University in Prague Czech Republic Yong Wang Manchester University UK Timothy Liu Director, BB7 Fire and Security Consultants UK LinHai Han Tsinghua University China Charles Clifton University of Auckland New Zealand Track 2: Concrete Structures
Name Affiliation Country Venkatesh Kodur Michigan State University USA Ali, Faris Ulster University UK Bhargava, Pradeep IIT Roorkee India Bisby, Luke University of Edinburgh UK Fontana, Mario ETH Zürich Switzerland Gambarova, Pietro Politech. Milan Italy Green, Mark Queen's University Canada Matsagar, Vasant IIT Delhi India Mendis, Priyan University of Melbourne Australia Naser, Mohannad Z. Michigan State University USA Raman, Ananth Indian Institute of Science India Taerwe, Luc University of Gent Belgium Wu, Bo SCUT China Zhang, Haiyan South China University of Technology China Haweeleh, Rami American University of Sharjah UAE Agarwal, Anil IIT-H India Track 3: Timber Structures and Fire Protection Materials
Name Affiliation Country Andrea Frangi ETHZ Switzerland Alar Just Tallinn University of Technology Estonia Andy Buchanan University of Canterbury New Zealand Birgit Östman Linnaeus University Sweden Christian Dagenais FP Innovations Canada Daniel Brandon RISE (Swedish Research Institute) Sweden Joachim Schmid ETH Zurich Switzerland Marc Janssens SW Research Institute USA Massimo Fragiacomo University of L’Aquila Italy Michael Klippel ETH Zurich Switzerland Norman Werther TU Munich Germany Pedro Palma EMPA Switzerland Rory Hadden University of Edinburgh UK Steve Craft CHM Fire Consultants Limited Canada Track 4: Numerical Modelling
Name Affiliation Country Asif Usmani Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hong Kong Angus Law University of Edinburgh UK Anne Jeffers University of Michigan USA Bin Zhao CTICM France Chao Zhang NIST USA CS Manohar Indian Institute of Science India Hamid Ronagh University of Queensland Australia Jean-Marc Franssen University de Liège Belgium Martin Gillie Warwick University UK Suwen Chen Tongji University China Kazunori Harada Kyoto University Japan Liming Jiang Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hong Kong Cristian Maluk Zedan University of Queensland Australia Track 5: Composite Structures
Name Affiliation Country Guo Qiang Li Tongji University China Ali Nadjai Ulster University UK Colin Bailey University of Manchester UK David LANGE RISE Sweden Dionis Dhima CSTB France Jian Jiang NIST USA João Paulo Rodrigues Universidade de Coimbra Portugal Manuel Romero Spain Martin Mensinger TU München Germany Peijun Wang Shandong University China Peter Schaumann University of Hannover Germany Weiyong Wang Chongqing University China Yong Du Nanjing University of Technology China Track 6: Steel Structures
Name Affiliation Country Paulo Vila Real University of Aveiro Portugal Carlos Couto University of Aveiro Portugal Christophe Renaud CTICM France Ian Burgess University of Sheffield UK Jyri Outinen Ramboll Finland Leroy Gardner Imperial College UK Mahen Mahendran Queensland University of Technology Australia Maria Garlok Princeton University USA Markus Knobloch Ruhr-Universität Bochum Switzerland Michael D. Engelhardt University of Texas at Austin USA Nuno Lopes University of Aveiro Portugal Raul Zaharia University of Timisoara Romania Track 7: Experimental Research and any Other
Name Affiliation Country Ali Nadjai Ulster University UK Aldina Santiago Univewrsity of Coimbra Portugal Danny Hopkin Olsson Fire and Risk UK Emidio Nigro University of Naples Federico II Italy Francois Hanus Arcelor Mittal Luxembourg Gisèle BIHINA CTICM France Konstantinos Daniel Tsavdaridis Leeds University UK Muhammad Masood Rafi NED University Karachi Pakistan OZAKI Fuminobu Nagoya University Japan Piergiacomo Cancelliere Ministry of Interiour Italian Central for fire Italy Thomas Gernay University of Liege Belgium Jochen Zehfuss Braunschweig Germany Richard Emberley California Polytech state University USA Jose Terero Maryland University USA Amar Khennane University of New South Wales Australia Ricardo Fakury University of Minas Gerais Brazil Talal Fetah Ulster University UK Call for Papers
You are invited to submit an extended abstract (two pages) describing the results of your latest scientific research or innovative applications of structural fire engineering, no later than Friday, 22 December 2017.
Submit Full Papers
The submission for full papers is now open.
To submit full papers, please download this Template & Guidelines.
Papers should be prepared as a MS Word file. Final papers should be uploaded as a Word and a as PDF file.
Before the paper submission, please pay the conference fees by clicking Registration and Costs.
Papers are due NO LATER than March 28. No extensions will be offered for submissions.
To publish the papers as conference proceedings, the publisher requires a Copyright Release Form.
Download Copyright Release Form
Please complete the form and send it back to the email contact. Alam-N1@email.ulster.ac.uk
Please submit your papers (both as MS Word and as a PDF file) at this link: Submit Full Papers.
File size must not exceed 8MB.
Contact Alam-N1@email.ulster.ac.uk if you have questions
Submit your abstract
Please submit your abstract Online.
Email Naveed Allam if you experience difficulties with abstract submissions.
Focus for papers
The focus of the conference is on the behaviour of structures under fire exposure, including the art, science and practice of structural fire engineering.
The following topics are addressed:
- Fire and thermal models of fire resistance evaluation.
- Numerical modelling of structures exposed to fire.
- Simple calculation methods.
- Experimental studies.
- Material behaviour at high temperatures.
- Validation.
- Practical applications and case studies.
- Global structure fire behaviour.
- Steel, concrete, masonry, timber, aluminium and composite structures.
- Thermal and mechanical model interface (e.g. CFD-FE).
- Probabilistic aspects of structural fire engineering.
The deadline for extended abstract submissions is Friday, 22 December 2017
What to include
The extended abstract should be two pages in length and must provide a clear summary of the proposed paper. It should include the title of the paper and full contact information of the authors.
Figures, tables and references may be included. Acknowledgements can be added to the written paper.
Your abstract should give sufficient information to allow the reviewers to judge the quality and innovative character of your paper. You should focus on the description of your work and results, avoiding, for example, a long introduction giving the advantages of the product or structural system on which you have been working.
Highlight the added value of your work compared to previous works by you or others (mention previous publications, with references and point out the new aspects that will be contained in your SiF presentation).
Submitting your abstract
When submitting your abstract please indicate the heading under which you think your presentation should fall (see headings below):
- Applications of Structural Fire Safety Engineering
- Concrete structures
- Timber structures and fire protection materials
- Numerical modelling
- Composite structures
- Steel structures
- Experimental research and any other
The final format of the conference will be decided when the number of accepted abstracts is known.
The quality of the work will be the only acceptance criterion.
Conference Venue
The main conference will be held at Titanic Belfast.
Titanic Belfast
The centre offers panoramic views over the slipways, the exact site where the giant structure of Titanic was built over 100 years ago.
On the first four floors, visitors can enjoy Titanic Belfast’s nine interactive galleries using state-of-the-art technology and innovative design to tell Titanic’s story from conception to construction and launch, to its maiden voyage and subsequent place in history.
Conference locations
All of our conference locations are held in the centre of Belfast, they offer sophisticated surroundings mixed with Northern Irish culture, giving you a truly unique and authentic taste of Belfast and Northern Ireland.
Ulster University
Your welcome reception will be held at Ulster University's modern Belfast City Centre Campus, which is located at York Street, Belfast, BT15 1ED and is easily accessed on foot or by taking public transport.
Ulster University has a national and international reputation for excellence, innovation and regional engagement and makes a major contribution to the economic, social and cultural development of Northern Ireland. Its core business activities are teaching and learning, widening access to education, research and innovation and technology and knowledge transfer.
Belfast City Hall
This magnificent building will host the conference's gala dinner. Built in 1906 the interior of this opulent Victorian building is breathtaking and a splendid setting for welcoming conference delegates to the City of Belfast.
Due to the central location of the City Hall, transport hire is not necessary. The majority of the city centre hotels are within a 5 minute walk from Belfast City Hall.
Registration and costs
Registration is now open for Structures in Fire International Conference 2018.
Delegates
Fees from now until 1 April 2018 : £360
Fees from 2 April 2018 onwards : £400This price includes:
- Receptions
- Lunch/Coffee Breaks
- Proceedings
- Conference Dinner
Students
Fees from now until 1 April 2018 : £260
Fees from 2 April 2018 onwards : £300This price includes:
- Receptions
- Lunch/Coffee Breaks
- Proceedings
If students would like to attend the Conference Dinner an additional £30 per person will need to be paid in advance.
Guests will be charged £50 to attend the Conference Dinner (to be paid in advance).
Conference Schedule
The conference begins on Tuesday 5 June with a welcome reception at Ulster University's Belfast campus, generously sponsored by Ulster University's Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment.
Schedule
The program is designed to allow 111 long presentations, 14 short presentations and 14 posters. As much as possible, single-track and parallel-track sessions are organised into common themes.
Logo Design Competition
The steering Committee is launching a competition to design a logo for SIF movement.
The logo should be recognisable and help to promote SIF.
All participants of the upcoming conference SIF18 Belfast are invited to submit an A4 design.
Delegates will vote to select the best design, and the winner will be announced during the gala dinner on Thursday 7th June, where they will receive a prize.
Please send your logo proposal to Naveed Alam at: Alam-N1@ulster.ac.uk.
Oral presentations
Oral presentations are spaced 15 minutes apart. This means that each presentation should be no more than 12-13 minutes long to allow time for questions from the audience. Please be respectful of this time limit. Presenters will be given about 2 or 3 minutes to respond to questions given by the audience.
A PC computer will be available in each auditorium. Please upload your presentation from a USB before the session begins, conference staff will be available to assist you with this.
Further information about the work presented will be in the printed proceedings, which will be available at the time of the conference. Further discussion will take place during the five hours of informal networking/discussion time which has been built into the conference timetable.
Guidelines on posters
The posters will be displayed in the large gallery space outside the doors to the auditorium, refreshments will also be available in this area. The centralised location enables the posters to be given good exposure.
Your poster size should be no larger than 0.9 meters wide by 1.2 meters high. Please make your poster as close to this size as possible, no larger.
Poster presenters will be given a chance to give a ‘5 -minute oral short presentation with 2 additional minutes for questions from the audience.
Two prizes awards will be provided to the Best display poster and to the Best short oral presentation.
Travel and accommodation
The 10th Annual SiF conference will be held in Northern Ireland's capital city of Belfast.
Getting to Belfast
Belfast is easily accessible from anywhere in the world, with two airports located in Belfast/County Antrim:
George Best Belfast City Airport
Situated just three miles from Belfast City Centre, this airport has 350 weekly return flights, including 79 from London with British Airways and Aer Lingus which take approximately one hour.
Belfast International Airport
Belfast International Airport at Aldergrove is only 30 minutes drive from Belfast City Centre. The airport has daily flights to 13 UK and 20 European/International airports.
Dublin airport is less than two hours by rail and there is an excellent road network between the two Capital Cities.
By Rail
The Enterprise train services runs eight times daily from Dublin to Belfast with the journey lasting less than two hours.
By Bus
Dublin Airport Express Coach Service operates from Dublin Airport 24 hours a day with a journey time of approximately two hours.
Getting around Belfast
The conference venues, hotels and attractions in Belfast City Centre are only a 5-10 minute walk from each other.
Should additional transportation be required there are a number of bus and train options available. Taxis in the city are affordable (approximately £6 from Belfast City Airport to the conference venue).
If you want to see more of Belfast
Belfast is full of exciting and interesting places to visit and there is something for everyone.
To get the best out of your trip, why not look at the Visit Belfast website for some inspiration.
To experience a taste of Northern Irish culture why not consider the following:
Cathedral Quarter
The historic heart of Belfast is now the city’s up and coming cultural hotspot. These cobbled streets are dotted with gems of all kinds from restaurants, pubs, art and photographic galleries and even a circus! Each year the quarter hosts a cutting edge festival with the emphasis on bringing the arts to unorthodox places.
The Murals
View the famous political and cultural murals in the west and east of the city - either on a black taxi tour or on an open top bus. Learn about the history and culture of Belfast through the political wall murals and before you leave, add your personal message to the peace wall.
Guinness, Oysters and Irish music In a traditional Belfast pub
Sample a local brew in one of Belfast’s historic hostelries, visit one of the traditional pubs for a live Irish music sessions, or check out the hip and trendy bar and club scene, you’ll find it all in Belfast!
Sample local produce at the lively St George’s Market
If you want to enjoy a real taste of Belfast, visit St. George’s Market, open each Friday, Saturday and Sunday offering a wide range of local high quality specialist food and products. Customers can sample the produce; relax with a coffee and newspaper against a backdrop of live jazz or flamenco music. This market is a real treat and a great way to spend a few hours at the weekend.
Shopping at Victoria Square
Victoria Square is Northern Ireland’s shopping mecca, offering a diverse mix of fashion brands including high street and premium labels. Housed under an impressive dome which boasts 360 degree views across the city.
Entry Visa and requirements
For UK nationals a passport is not strictly necessary but photographic identification is required. Check with your airline/ferry company as requirements vary.
For other nationals, a valid passport or national identity card is required.
Visas are not usually requires for citizens from Europe and most other western countries.
Further information is available from the British Embassy in your country of origin.
Accommodation
With 57 hotels in greater Belfast comprising 4,552 rooms the city offers variety, from renowned brands through to distinctive and iconic hotels. In addition by 2018 seven hotels plan to be completed in Belfast - adding 683 rooms.
Delegates will be able to choose from a range of competitively priced accommodation, which are within a short walk of the venues.
As part of the expansion, the Hilton Hotel will have a direct covered connection to the venue. With 198 bedrooms and additional meeting space for up to 400 people this is a potential headquarters hotel.
Delegates can call or email the in-house reservations team to book quoting SIF18.
Titanic Hotel Belfast
As a valued client of Titanic Belfast we are delighted to offer you a preferential booking rate at the Titanic Hotel Belfast.
Avail of bed and breakfast stay from only £99*.
For more information or to book call 028 9076 6396.
*Subject to availability. Terms and Conditions apply.
Holiday Inn Belfast City Centre
- £129 Bed & Breakfast per Single Occupancy Room per Night
- £139 Bed & Breakfast per Double Occupancy Room per Night
T: 0044 2890 242494 select option 1 for reservations
E: reservations@hibelfastcitycentre.co.uk
Holiday Inn Express Belfast City Queens Quarter
- £109 Bed & Breakfast per Single Occupancy Room per Night
- £115 Bed & Breakfast per Double Occupancy Room per Night
T: 0044 2890 311909 select option 1 for reservations
E: reservations@hiexpressbelfast.com
Ibis Belfast City Centre
- £109 Bed & Breakfast per Single Occupancy Room per Night
- £115 Bed & Breakfast per Double Occupancy Room per Night
T: 0044 2890 238888 select option 1 for reservations
Ibis Belfast Queens Quarter
- £109 B&B per Single Occupancy Room per Night
- £115 B&B per Double Occupancy Room per Night
T: 0044 2890 336666 select option 1 for reservations
All rates include breakfast, VAT and free Wi-Fi. They require credit/debit card details to guarantee the reservations only and payment is then due at the hotels.
www.andrashouse.co.ukPark Inn by Radisson Belfast
- Basis: Bed & Breakfast VAT and WIFI
- Cancellation: 28 days of date of Booking – 100% of the Total Cost is charged
- £119 standard room with single occupancy per night
- £129 standard room with double occupancy per night
E: reservations.belfast@radissonblu.com
W: www.parkinn.co.uk/hotel-belfast
Radisson Blu Belfast
- Basis: Bed & Breakfast VAT and WIFI
- Cancellation: 28 days of date of Booking – 100% of the Total Cost is charged
- £129 standard room with single occupancy per night
- £139 standard room with double occupancy per night
E: reservations.belfast@radissonblu.com
Fitzwilliam Hotel
- £162.00 per room per night inclusive of Overnight accommodation & Full Fitzwilliam Breakfast
- £175.00 per room per night inclusive of Overnight accommodation & Full Fitzwilliam Breakfast
- Guests to call and book their own rooms quoting ‘SIF18’
E: enq@fitzwilliamhotelbelfast.com
W: www.fitzwilliamhotelbelfast.com
Hilton Belfast
- £129 Single Occupancy
- £139 Double Occupancy
- Breakfast Inclusive
- 21 day individual cancelation policy
- Credit card details required at time of booking
Book online at http://eventsathilton.com/show/59367d27f6c4665d1ec86dc9
T: +44 (0) 28 90 277216 and quote GUUFA
Ramada Encore Belfast
- £85 BB single
- £95 BB double occupancy per room per night, these rates are subject to availability.
- The code SIF18 is to be quoted via email to Rachel Morrison (Reservations Coordinator)
T: 02890 261800
E: reservations@encorebelfast.co.uk
Benedicts
- £80 per night single occupancy
- £95 double occupancy.
- Guests need to call with the reference SIF18 and provide card details for their booking and pay on arrival
The Crescent Townhouse Hotel
- Room only single £67
- Room only double £67
- B&B single £75
- B&B double £83
- They require credit card details from Delegates to guarantee & confirm their bookings
SAFIR Newsletter
Read the latest SAFIR newsletter containing documentation, development and training information.
SAFIR workshop
When: Tuesday 5 June 2018, 1pm-5pm
Where: Ulster University Belfast CampusThe continuing development of advanced analysis tools is central to support the current trend toward performance-based design in structural fire engineering. FEM software dedicated to the analysis of the behaviour of structures in fire, such as SAFIR, are being more and more used by researchers and practitioners active in the field. In this context, this workshop aims at presenting some of the most up-to-date capabilities of SAFIR. After an overview of the main features of the software, a special emphasis will be given to the possibilities that exist to consider the fire attack. Indeed, many recent challenges in the field (e.g. study of large open-space building fires, bridge fires, etc) require a more sophisticated consideration of the fire attack than the traditional gas temperature curves.
Programme
General organization of SAFIR - Main features: discretization; elements; materials; coupling between thermal and mechanical models; etc.
- Brief description of the pre-processor GID
- Brief description of the post-processor DIAMOND
Methods for interfacing a fire model with a SAFIR FE model - Direct user input: node temperature evolution; heat flux at boundary
- Post-flashover fires: gas temperature – time relationship
- Localized fires: Hasemi; LOCAFI; FDS
Application examples will be provided for the localized fire models.
Future developments Indications will be given about possible developments that could be introduced in the code in the future. Feedback from the audience should help prioritizing the tasks.
Particular questions Although the participants will have the opportunity to ask general questions during all presentations, the last part of the workshop will give the possibility to the delegates who are already using the code to ask particular questions related to their own models or structures to the software developers.
Register
The workshop is free to attend, but registration is mandatory before 30 April 2018 via email to safir@ulg.ac.be with the subject "SAFIR workshop registration".
COST workshop "Thermal exposure of combustible and incombustible structures in fire"
When: Tuesday 5 June 2018, 12:30-18:00
Where: Hilton Hotel Belfast, Room Lisburn
The increased popularity of timber buildings led to a renaissance of fire resistance testing of timber products, especially panel elements such as CLT (cross laminated timber). Timber products are combustible and may be considered as fire load in buildings – especially if these products are left unprotected. Furnace testing showed in the past that a lower fuel is needed to follow a default time-temperature curve. This workshop is a result from recent discussions about the applicability of furnace testing results and more general about the thermal exposure of combustibles in comparison to incombustible products.
Questions which will be dealt with at the workshop are:
- Q1: What is the best way to describe thermal exposure in fire engineering? How can it be expressed and what parameters influence the thermal exposure of a surface? How can the parameters be determined (in relevant environments). How can engineers calculate heat transfer to a surface?
- Q2: What is a furnace able to imitate? Is it a time-temperature heating curve, a (real fire) or/and something else?
- Q3: What are the reasons and consequences of the different fuel consumption in standard fire resistance tests for combustibles and incombustibles? To what extent can combustible products (e.g. timber slabs) be tested in a furnace and results be used to predict the performance in real fires?
Aim of the Workshop
The aim of the Workshop is to find a common understanding about important basic definitions and ways to perform fire safety engineering.
At the end of the workshop, key aspects brought forward in the presentations and discussions will be summarized and later made available to the public.
Target groups
The workshop is intended for experts dealing with incombustible and incombustible products, assessment and fire design of building products and researchers developing design methods. Target groups comprise target group of COST FP1404 and are (i) Fire Safety Engineers, (ii) Structural Engineers specialized on fire design. Experts from academia, Students of higher level, authorities, and industry representatives are welcome.
Travel and participation support
The attendance in workshop is free. Given the limited funding by the EU/COST FP1404, we are able to support a limited number of active COST FP1404 members and experts for this event acc. to the COST travel reimbursement rules for this event (max. 2 nights, flatrate 85€/night, economy long distance travel). First come, first serve (registration online). Answering questions (Q1) to (Q3) and the calculation example is considered as active contribution. Further information at www.costfp1404.com.
Register
The COST workshop is free to attend, but registration at www.costfp1404.com is mandatory. Deadline for the application for travel support is 31March 2018.
Belfast attractions & leisure gallery
SIF 2018 will take place in Belfast.
FireSERT at Ulster University
FireSERT is the Fire Safety Engineering Research and Technology Centre within the School of Built Environment at Ulster University. FireSERT is internationally recognised for its excellence and contribution to Fire Safety Engineering and Science. Find out more about our research and facilities at FireSert.
FireSERT videos
Performance of cellular composite floor beams under severe fire conditions
Temperature assessment of a vertical member subjected to localised fire
Fire resistance of long span cellular beams made of rolled profiles (FCEB)
Sponsors
