Optimising resilience and sustainability of structures through developing new-era fire engineering performance design exemplars

About the Project

This fully funded PhD provides an exciting opportunity to pursue postgraduate research in performance-based fire engineering for buildings, improving life safety, structural robustness and low-carbon design decisions. The School of Civil Engineering, within the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, invites applications from prospective postgraduate researchers who wish to commence study for a PhD in the academic year 2026/27 for this EPSRC-University / Industry co-funded scholarship in collaboration with BB7, a leading fire engineering and building consultancy.

The research aims to create a performance-based fire engineering framework focused on sustainability, resilience, and structural fire protection in buildings. The main themes include:

1. Sustainability: Addressing the tension between sustainability and fire safety, particularly in the context of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) and green building technologies. The goal is to optimise fire protection systems while minimising environmental impact.

2. Structural Fire Protection: Evaluating the fire performance of various construction materials and systems, such as timber framing and lightweight steel. The research aims to improve passive fire protection measures and develop best practices for integrating green features without compromising safety.

3. Resilience: Enhancing life safety and structural robustness through advanced evacuation models and risk assessment methods. This encompasses considering diverse occupant capabilities and integrating dynamic guidance systems for improved evacuation outcomes. Additionally, the inclusion of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling helps analyse smoke and tenability conditions, further strengthening resilience in fire scenarios.

4. Interdisciplinary Approach: Collaborating with experts in fire engineering, material science, and human behaviour to create practical tools and policies that promote safer, sustainable designs.

Overall, the research seeks to deliver effective, real-world solutions that align with emerging construction methods and sustainability goals while ensuring enhanced fire safety.