Fired up over fire safety

(Ottawa) –

Carleton University’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering has launched a new field in its graduate program that concentrates on fire safety engineering.

“I guess you could say that we’re all fired up over this new initiative as it will graduate students to meet the growing demands of Canadian industry in this important area,” says Dr. George Hadjisophocleous, industrial research chair in fire safety engineering and a professor of civil engineering.

Carleton already offers a set of courses in the area of fire safety engineering. Now, students can graduate with a degree in civil engineering with a dedicated concentration in fire safety.

The new field is a natural development following the establishment of Dr. Hadjisophocleous’s position in 2001. Recently, a specialist in this field, Dr. Ehab Zalok, also joined the department. Both faculty members are dedicated to saving lives since their research could be used to design better fire protection systems in buildings and tunnels.

Students focusing on this area of study at Carleton have the opportunity to conduct experiments in Carleton’s unique full-scale fire research facilities located in Almonte. Ongoing projects include investigating fire spread from one building to another, the study of the performance of wood and steel connections in fire, and modeling the response of timber floors to fire. A new project focuses on evaluating the impact of fire suppression systems in tunnels on the performance of ventilation systems.

“The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering takes special pride in its new initiative and has strongly supported it,” says Abd El Halim, chair of the department. “We now expect the new field to attract some of the best students from Canada and abroad.”

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering offers eight graduate-level courses in the area of fire safety including fire dynamics, fire resistance, human factors in fires, fire modelling, explosions and the response of materials to fires. Most of these courses are available on Video-On-Demand, to make it easier for students residing outside the Ottawa area.

“This is another example of the relevant and innovative engineering programs at Carleton,” says Rafik Goubran, dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Design. “This is why we are recognized as one of the top engineering and design schools in Canada with the most extensive range of programs.”

More information on Fire Safety Engineering at Carleton University.