FIREGRID: INTEGRATED E-RESPONSE FOR THE MODERN BUILT ENVIRONMENT BASED ON ENVIRONMENTAL AND STRUCTURAL MONITORING

Sensing and monitoring devices of many kinds are gradually becoming ever more pervasive in modem buildings. The range of applications is getting broader, including environmental control for occupant comfort and energy efficiency, as well as monitoring of the environment to achieve early detection and warning of emergency situations (such as fire). Conventional actuation for environmental comfort and to mitigate the effects of an emergency (such as sprinklers) is also common place. Systems for "smart" early response are now being developed to provide a more robust and reliable suppression or mitigation of the emergency. The FireGrid concept is about integrating the independently developing sensing technologies with modelling tools, using distributed computing (high performance computation and Grid technologies) and achieving real-time response to mitigate the potential damage as a result of major emergencies. The first application of this concept deals with fire in buildings (hence the name), however the concept is generally applicable to most emergencies. In this work the authors will discuss the basic architecture of FireGrid and how it may be used to provide early warning of the loss of structural integrity in a typical steel frame composite structure subjected to a large fire.