LiDAR-based Heat Transfer Models of Buildings for Bushfire Conditions

Over the last few years, significant advancements in understanding the fire dynamics of large-scale fires have been made. The impact of accurate simulations has been made clear, with large- and small-scale simulations producing good results. Further, there are advanced technologies, i.e. using drones to map the existing buildings to create the geometry if the design layouts of buildings are unavailable. Thus, a study is currently in progress at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) to combine the advancement in robotics and electrical engineering and fluid dynamics-based heat transfer to predict the building behaviour characteristics in bushfires.  This project involves a field-scale study of an entire building in a bushfire-prone area and developing a computer modelling-based study using Fire Dynamic Simulator (FDS) software to evaluate its bushfire resistance. It will focus on recreating the geometry of the building using drone survey, developing advanced heat transfer models of buildings in FDS and investigating the bushfire resistance of building components. By proposing an accurate assessment of individual buildings, customized safety measures can be implemented for identified risks. Additionally, further understanding the effect of different parameters on the severity and damage caused by the fire will allow greater performance and safety for future events. A holistic understanding of the whole building as a model could facilitate a more realistic fire scenario. Ideally, a scale model could be tested. However, this is economically unfeasible for large-scale construction validation. It would be beneficial to develop a method that allows accurate simulation of existing full-scale buildings to analyse bushfire resistance. Further, the study is being extended to understand the building’s resistance to various bushfire scenarios that the building can be exposed to in the future. This presentation will highlight this and include the modelling results of the case studies conducted for the surveyed building.