Admission and Unit Information - Graduate Certificate in Fire Safety Engineering

This unit introduces the Building Code of Australia (BCA) and in particular those aspects relevant to fire safety in building design and construction. The topics covered with reference to the BCA include its general provisions, structure and philosophy. Students are required to understand how to meet the BCA requirements for fire safety. Covered in this unit are performance based versus prescriptive approaches and the regulation of fire safety maintenance. The unit also discusses the relationship between research in the development of building codes and the role played by approval/certifying authorities in compliance assessment.

This unit aims to develop a detailed knowledge of fire behaviour and dynamics in the built environment. Students will be able to understand fuels and combustion processes; the chemistry of combustion; flammability limits; ignition characteristics; and different types of flames and fire plumes. The content also covers the burning of liquids and solids; flammable vapour/air mixtures; extinction and extinguishment; flame spread mechanisms and modeling; flashover; fire resistance and fire severity; projection of flames from burning compartment openings; spread of fire from a compartment; production and measurement of smoke; and smoke movement.

This unit introduces the concept of risk assessment for fire safety systems relevant to life safety and property protection. The unit helps students develop an understanding of building occupant characteristics and human behaviour during fire emergencies. Parameters, methods and criteria for risk and economic assessments are covered in this unit.

This unit describes the various types and application of building services and fire safety systems. It introduces appropriate standards for building fire service system design and the methods of applying recommendations of fire engineering assessments with respect to building services and fire safety systems.