IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF FIRE RISK ASSESSMENT BY USING EVACUATION SIMULATION SOFTWARE

The time required for evacuation of all persons who could be present in the building during a fire event depends on a number of factors, some of which are very difficult to predict. In order to achieve more realistic evaluation of the evacuation process, engineers are increasingly turning towards evacuation computer models. These evacuation models could help reduce the consequences related to a wide range of adverse events, such as fires, by indicating critical points on the evacuation paths. At the same time, simulation tools can be used for exploring how certain changes within the real system could affect the efficiency of evacuation and fire safety of the building even before they are implemented. The computer model for the Amphitheatres in FTS in Novi Sad has been created using simulation software – Pathfinder, based on SRPS TP 21. This paper presents contribution of evacuation software models to the quality of fire safety assessment

CAPACITY BUILDING IN HIGHER EDUCATION, Resilience improvement in Balkan region

In order to improve the resilience of the region to hazards, it is necessary to provide the required number of experts that is to modernize and develop higher education at the regional higher education institutions in the field of Disaster Risk Management and Fire Safety Engineering. A master study program should be developed to satisfy various criteria, according to regional needs for resilient society, such as the shift from reactive to proactive actions, developing a culture of prevention in built environment and learning to live with risks. Final goal is to produce capable experts, to be able to withstand difficult requirements of today and tomorrow. Compliance of the regional master program with similar programs, developed in the EU countries, strengthens the capacity of individual countries and the region as a whole in the process of European integration

European and national assessment procedure for the fire performance of facades

Innovative construction systems, increasing use of combustible material in facades, less and less space between buildings, increased energy requirements; the transformation of facades in response to these changes requires the involvement of fire safety experts. nts at Grenfell Tower, London and The Address in Dubai have demonstrated, use of combustible façade elements and lack of-quick time, primarily through the façade. We need to learn from these disasters. Other incidents prove that the use of nonsuppression. In the past years EU experts are working on development of common method for assessment of the fire performance of façade systems. The classification system should be transparent and should fit within the framework of existing national regulations. The common assessment method should be applicable to the wide range of façades systems available in the market including glazed façades, green façades and other emerging technologies. There is a progress in developing legislation on façade fire safety in non-EU countries, due to emerging fire safety problems and harmonization of regulation with EU. Fire safety of facades in Serbia is defined through several rulebooks and standards, which significantly improved requirements. This paper presents the comparative analysis of legislation on facade fire safety in Serbia and other European countries

Influence of fly ash and decreasing water-powder ratio on performance of recycled aggregate concrete

U radu su prikazani rezultati ispitivanja zajedničkog učinka djelomične zamjene cementa s letećim pepelom i upotrebe recikliranog agregata s ciljem poboljšanja održivosti betona. Ispitivano je devet betonskih mješavina, u kojima su varirani količina letećeg pepela i vodovezivni omjer, analizirani su: tlačna čvrstoća, kapilarno upijanje, vodopropusnost i otpornost na prodor klorida. Dobiveno je da se povećanjem količine letećeg pepela neznatno smanjuje tlačna čvrstoća, ali da se smanjenjem vodovezivnog omjera to može nadomjestiti.Investigation results of the combined effect of partial cement replacement with fly ash, and the use of recycled concrete aggregate to improve the sustainability of concrete, are presented in this paper. The compressive strength, capillary water absorption, water permeability, and chloride ion penetration, are analysed by testing nine concrete mixtures, in which the fly ash content and water to powder ratio were varied. The results show that compressive strength slightly decreases as the fly ash content increases, but that this can be compensated by reducing the water to powder ratio

Serotype distribution, antimicrobial susceptibility and molecular epidemiology of invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae in the nine-year period in Serbia

Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of the leading bacterial pathogens that can cause severe invasive diseases. The aim of the study was to characterize invasive isolates of S. pneumoniae obtained during the nine-year period in Serbia before the introduction of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) into routine vaccination programs by determining: serotype distribution, the prevalence and genetic basis of antimicrobial resistance, and genetic relatedness of the circulating pneumococcal clones. A total of 490 invasive S. pneumoniae isolates were included in this study. The serotype, antimicrobial susceptibility, and ST of the strains were determined by the Quellung reaction, disk- and gradient-diffusion methods, and multilocus sequence typing (MLST), respectively. The most common serotypes in this study were 3, 19F, 14, 6B, 6A, 19A, and 23F. The serotype coverages of PCV10 and PCV13 in children less than 2 years were 71.3 and 86.1%, respectively, while PPV23 coverage in adults was in the range of 85-96%, depending on the age group. Penicillin and ceftriaxone-non-susceptible isolates account for 47.6 and 16.5% of all isolates, respectively. Macrolide non-susceptibility was detected in 40.4% of isolates, while the rate of multidrug- and extensive-drug resistance was 20.0 and 16.9%, respectively. The MLST analysis of 158 pneumococci identified 60 different STs belonging to the 16 Clonal Complexes (CCs) (consisting of 42 STs) and 18 singletons. The most common CC/ST were ST1377, CC320, CC15, CC273, CC156, CC473, CC81, and CC180. Results obtained in this study indicate that the pre-vaccine pneumococcal population in Serbia is characterized by high penicillin and macrolides non-susceptibility, worrisome rates of MDR and XDR, as well as a high degree of genetic diversity. These findings provide a basis for further investigation of the changes in serotypes and genotypes that can be expected after the routine introduction of PCVs

IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF FIRE RISK ASSESSMENT BY USING EVACUATION SIMULATION SOFTWARE

The time required for evacuation of all persons who could be present in the building during a fire event depends on a number of factors, some of which are very difficult to predict. In order to achieve more realistic evaluation of the evacuation process, engineers are increasingly turning towards evacuation computer models. These evacuation models could help reduce the consequences related to a wide range of adverse events, such as fires, by indicating critical points on the evacuation paths. At the same time, simulation tools can be used for exploring how certain changes within the real system could affect the efficiency of evacuation and fire safety of the building even before they are implemented. The computer model for the Amphitheatres in FTS in Novi Sad has been created using simulation software – Pathfinder, based on SRPS TP 21. This paper presents contribution of evacuation software models to the quality of fire safety assessment

Orthofaçade-Based Assisted Inspection Method for Buildings

Building façade assessment could be performed in a more efficient way using a multidisciplinary approach and modern technologies. This study proposes the orthofaçade-based assisted inspection method (AIM), universal and applicable to different types of façade cladding and suitable for application in the condition assessment of inaccessible building façades or high-rise and large structures of all kinds. The AIM method offers a multidisciplinary approach by combining unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, electronic tachymetry, and digital image processing techniques (photogrammetry and open-source computer vision methods). The method was verified in a case study performed on a high-rise building façade. On-site data acquisition of high-resolution images of façade and control points was conducted by UAV and tachymetry. The data were further processed in photogrammetric software in order to generate a georeferenced orthofaçade. Crack detection was performed at pixel level via computer code using the OpenCV library methods. The established diagnostic model, defined by control points, enables precise determination of crack location. Crack length, width, or area could be calculated based on the coordinates of its points, by performing simple mathematical operations. The AIM method provides automation of crack detection and precise determination of location and geometrical parameters of detected crack

Orthofaçade-Based Assisted Inspection Method for Buildings

Building façade assessment could be performed in a more efficient way using a multidisciplinary approach and modern technologies. This study proposes the orthofaçade-based assisted inspection method (AIM), universal and applicable to different types of façade cladding and suitable for application in the condition assessment of inaccessible building façades or high-rise and large structures of all kinds. The AIM method offers a multidisciplinary approach by combining unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, electronic tachymetry, and digital image processing techniques (photogrammetry and open-source computer vision methods). The method was verified in a case study performed on a high-rise building façade. On-site data acquisition of high-resolution images of façade and control points was conducted by UAV and tachymetry. The data were further processed in photogrammetric software in order to generate a georeferenced orthofaçade. Crack detection was performed at pixel level via computer code using the OpenCV library methods. The established diagnostic model, defined by control points, enables precise determination of crack location. Crack length, width, or area could be calculated based on the coordinates of its points, by performing simple mathematical operations. The AIM method provides automation of crack detection and precise determination of location and geometrical parameters of detected crack

An Efficient Electrochemical Sensing of Caffeic Acid at Thermolysis Prepared Urea-formaldehyde Resin Modified with Fe(III) and Ti(IV) Oxide Particles

Urea-formaldehyde resin (UF) is primarily used as an adhesive applied in the wood composites industry. In this work, we found that this resin modified with metal compounds could be a good starting point to produce high-performance electrode material applied for the construction of electrochemical sensor for important antioxidant, such as caffeic acids (CA). The conductivity of carbon paste electrodes (CPE) modified by materials produced by thermolysis of in situ synthesized urea formaldehyde resins with Fe(III) and Ti(IV) compounds (mixed metal compounds and individually) were examined. For comparison, pure CPE and CPE modified with material produced from the physical mixture of UF resins and metal compounds in the same combinations were also electrochemically characterized by impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. The most conductive material, which consists of a combination of metal oxide particles in situ synthesized with UF (SynFe+Ti/UF-TP@CPE), was used as a CPE modifier and proved itself in sensitive differential pulse voltammetric determination of caffeic acid at a wide working range of 0.5-100 and limit of detection of 0.046 μM. The proposed electrode was successfully applied for the determination of the content of CA in spiked urine samples and the estimation of total phenol content, based on CA equivalents, of honey, liqueur and juice samples