Substantiating the Suitability of a Fire Model

SFPE Pre-conference In-Person Professional Development Seminar
15th and 16th April 2024, Copenhagen, Denmark

In the realm of engineering, models and simulations have played a vital role for many years. They are instrumental in supporting safety analyses and the design of safety systems. Fire models and their capabilities are continually evolving, and the ways in which they are used are ever-changing. Therefore, models must be substantiated to ensure it answers the questions we need a fire model to answer and confirm that it will satisfy a project’s objectives.

This two day course provides an overview of model substantiation process: defining the problem, model selection, verification and validation of the model, and uncertainty analysis. The requirements for each step are covered and explained.
This course does not provide instruction on any specific modelling software, method, or tool.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the various criteria involved in evaluating and substantiating fire models.
• Assess the factors influencing the choice of a specific fire model for a given application.
• Evaluate the impact of project constraints on the model selection process.
• Fully understand and be able to apply the Fire Model Substantiation Flow Chart from the guide.
• Recognize the relationship between initial and boundary conditions in the modeling process.
• Understand the role of verification and validation in ensuring model reliability.
• Identify strategies for addressing uncertainty in fire modeling.
• Have a high-level understanding of modeling types, including each model's assumptions and limitations and unique advantages/disadvantages.