Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- External
- Attendance mode
- Online
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Civil Engineering School
This course provides an introduction to the implementation of fire safety in infrastructure, industry and vehicles. The focus of the course is to establish the knowledge and rationale followed when bringing safety into the design process.
This course provides an introduction to the design of a fire safety strategy. A fire safety strategy is applicable to any form of infrastructure or process. This course focuses on the built environment but it is suitable to those interested in fire safety for transport systems (aircraft, trains, etc.), the processes industry (manufacturing, petrochemical, energy, etc.), or environmental engineering (bush and forested areas, waste processing plants, etc.). This course covers all the basic principles used to analyse the performance of infrastructure/processes/systems when subject to a fire.
This course requires students to engage with real, open ended engineering problems. Fire safety, as most new disciplines, does not have many well-structured textbooks or learning materials, therefore students will be expected to read and analyse technical literature that is not necessarily directly related to the fire problems presented. Classroom discussions will provide an important supplement to course material and students will be expected to use this knowledge in the analysis of course related problems.
Students will therefore be expected to:
- Independently search and locate technical material
- Independently analyse technical material and draw pertinent conclusions
- Independently draw on prior knowledge to address specific problems presented
- Actively participate in classroom discussions directed towards establishing sources of information that help analyse and solve the problems presented.
This course will address the following specific subject areas:
1. Regulatory environment, social responsibility, contractual and design constraints
2. Life safety
3. Fire science (combustion, ignition, fire growth, compartment fire dynamics)
4. Fire protection systems (detection, smoke management, suppression)
5. Structural behaviour in fire (thermal load, structural performance)
6. Failure analysis
Course Changes in Response to Previous Student Feedback
This course has recently gone through a significant redesign, moving from synchronous lecture and tutorial content to a blended delivery comprising asynchronous (self-directed) learning activities and short weekly lectures and tutorial activities. This has been done to encourage continuous student engagement with the literature and course content outside of class time; whilst still taking advantage of contact hours for content delivery and formative discussions with students.
Course requirements
Assumed background
Students are not expected to have any specific background knowledge other than a very basic understanding of fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, heat transfer, dynamics, statics and solid mechanics (as per typical 1st year courses)
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
FIRE3700 or ENGG3700
Restrictions
Enrolment in GCEng (Civil Engineering), MEngSc (Civil Engineering) or MEngSc (Fire Safety Engineering)
Course staff
Course coordinator
Lecturer
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Aims and outcomes
This course will enable you to understand the general principles by which fire safety is introduced in the built environment, processes and systems. The course will survey prescriptive and quantitative design tools to enable the student to have a critical perspective on how fire safety interacts with other design constraints, professional disciplines and regulatory environments. Finally, this course will enable the student to critically analyse matters of professional ethics.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Explain the interrelationships between all the aspects of the fire safety strategy for buildings and infrastructure (e.g. tunnels, transportation)
LO2.
Apply the concepts of emergency evacuation, fire growth, compartment fire dynamics, detection, and active and passive fire protection measures to real problems in fire safety engineering
LO3.
Quantify the contribution of the elements of a fire safety strategy to available and required safe egress time
LO4.
Explain the different approaches to provision of fire safety in the built environment.
LO5.
Identify the consequences of poor incorporation of fire safety in building and infrastructure.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tutorial/ Problem Set |
Assignment 1
|
30% |
7/04/2025 3:50 pm |
| Tutorial/ Problem Set | Assignment 2 - Individual Problem Solution | 30% |
23/05/2025 3:50 pm |
| Examination |
Final interview
|
40% |
To be scheduled during the exam period |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Assignment 1
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Tutorial/ Problem Set
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
7/04/2025 3:50 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
This is an assignment which comprises a range of problem solving and short answer questions, which covers the following contents:
- Introduction to Fire Safety Engineering.
- Egress
- Fire science I
- Fire science II
- Compartment fire dynamics I
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
The written responses to the questions should by scanned and submitted on Turnitin
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Assignment 2 - Individual Problem Solution
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Tutorial/ Problem Set
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
23/05/2025 3:50 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
- Assignment based on a series of problems to be resolved individually.
- Both results form and calculations have to be submitted.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Assessment must be submitted through the course BlackBoard site
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Final interview
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- Mode
- Oral
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
To be scheduled during the exam period
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
This interview is an identity verified assessment and will be used to assess student understanding and retention of the course material. It will also assess the capacity of the student to understand and apply the acquired knowledge to a change in design brief or underlying design parameters. The interview will cover all of the course content. This assessment task will be recorded.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
Students need to achieve a grade of 4 or higher in the interview in order for a pass grade to be awarded for the whole course.Exam details
| Planning time | no planning time minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 60 minutes |
| Calculator options | No calculators permitted |
| Open/closed book | Open Book examination |
| Exam platform | Other |
| Invigilation | Invigilated by Zoom |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Late submission
You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 19 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Some engagement with the assessment tasks; however, no demonstrated evidence of understanding of the concepts in the field of study. |
| 2 (Fail) | 20 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Deficiencies in understanding the fundamental concepts of the field of study. Inability to identify data, cases, problems and their solutions, and implications. Presents inappropriate or unsupported arguments Inability to apply knowledge and skills. Communicates information or ideas in ways that are frequently incomplete, confusing and not appropriate to the conventions of the discipline. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Superficial understanding of the fundamental concepts of the field of study. Attempts to identify data, cases, problems and their solutions, and implications. Presents undeveloped arguments. Emerging ability to apply knowledge and skills. Communicates information or ideas with limited clarity and inconsistent adherence to the conventions of the discipline. Falls short of satisfying all basic requirements for a Pass. Some knowledge of the subject is evident but the student only demonstrates a limited understanding of the underlying concepts. |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Adequate knowledge of fundamental concepts of the field of study. Identifies data, cases, problems and their solutions, and implications. Develops routine arguments or decisions. Acceptable application of knowledge and skills. Uses some of the conventions of the discipline to communicate appropriately. Demonstrates a sound knowledge of the relevant information and at least an adequate understanding of the underlying concepts. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Good knowledge of fundamental concepts of the field of study. Considered evaluation of data, cases, problems and their solutions, and implications. Develops or adapts convincing arguments and provides coherent justification. Effective application of knowledge and skills. Uses the conventions of the discipline to communicate at an effective level. Demonstrates a sound knowledge of the relevant information and a sound understanding of the key concepts. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: <p>Substantial knowledge of fundamental concepts of the field of study. Critical evaluation of data, cases, problems and their solutions, and implications. Perceptive insights in identifying, generating and synthesising competing arguments or perspectives. Extensive application of knowledge and skills. Uses the conventions of the discipline to communicate at a professional level. Key concepts are understood. There is a demonstrated ability to solve previously unseen problems. There are only minor factual inaccuracies and there is little irrelevant information.</p> |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: <p>Mastery of content. Expert and critical evaluation of data, cases, problems and their solutions, and implications. Significant and sophisticated insights in identifying, generating and synthesising competing arguments or perspectives. Original, novel and/or creative application of knowledge and skills. Exploits the conventions of the discipline to communicate at an expert level. Key concepts are understood and can be used to solve previously unseen problems. There is evidence of critical analysis and an ability to synthesise information from different aspects of the subject. There are insignificant factual inaccuracies and there is limited irrelevant information. |
Additional course grading information
Interviews
- The student card will be checked as part of the interview process
- Interviews will be recorded
Grade cutoffs and hurdles
Final (total) marks will be rounded up to an integer value prior to applying hurdles or grade boundaries.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
Lectures
- Support course notes are available.ﾠThese will be made available for download via the course BlackBoard site.
- Copies of selected slides from the lecture presentations are available to assist students in preparing their own course notes during lectures. These will be made available for download via the course BlackBoard site.
Tutorials
- Solutions to the tutorial sessions will be made available for download via the course BlackBoard site.
Codes and Standards
- Australian standards are available to students electronically via the library.
- When other standards are necessary and not available via the library, summaries of the relevant information will be made available for download via the course BlackBoard site.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 13 |
Tutorial |
External (FIRE7600) tutorial sessions Online (via zoom) tutorial sessions for FIRE7600 Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Lecture |
Lecture series Augmenting self-directed learning via in person and online classes Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: