Portuguese Fire Safety code is prescriptive but the performance-based approach is allowed in some cases: retrofitting buildings (if it is impossible to be code compliant), singular buildings, structural fire resistance and evacuation design. However, the code doesn’t have any performance criteria or other any kind of specific conditions for the PBD approach. AHJ approval is mandatory but AHJ officials don’t have specific FSE knowledge and feel uncomfortable when dealing with a PBD approach.
Fire Safety Engineering is growing in Portugal and there is a lot to be done concerning technical knowledge and proper regulatory framework. This conference intends to take a step forward promoting the PBD approach.
Host venue The conference is hosted by Ordem dos Arquitectos (Portuguese Architects charter organization) and co-organized by SFPE Portugal. The conference will be held in Ordem dos Arquitectos headquarters in Lisbon.
Keynote speakers Prof. Guillermo Rein (Imperial College, UK)
Luciano Nigro (Jensen Hughes, Italy)
PROGRAM 09:15 Check in
09:45 Opening session – José Manuel Pedreirinho, Ordem dos Arquitectos
10:00 Keynote – Challenges of Fire Engineering in the City and in the Forest – Guillermo Rein (Imperial College, England)
Session I – Performance-based design challenges 10:30 Fire resistance: the science behind the index – Wojciech Węgrzyński, Piotr Turkowski (Instytut Techniki Budowlanej, Poland)
10:45 Do prescriptive codes give a proper answer to societal changes? – Paulo Ramos (OA / ETU, Portugal)
11:00 Hospital evacuation design - A Spanish research study – Jimmy Jönsson (JVVA, Spain)
11:15 Debate – Moderator José Oliveira (ANPC, Portugal)
11:25 Coffee Break
Session II – The performance-based approach in different occupancies 11:50 Appropriate upgrade of fire safety provisions in existing big transport terminals – W.K. Chow (Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong)
12:05 Avaliação / Caracterização do risco de incêndio e implementação de MAP em grande escala em parques habitacionais – Chichorro Gonçalves, Miguel; Magalhães, Luís; Canedo, Pedro (FEUP, Portugal)
12:20 Toward fire safe schools: investigation and analysis of modelling speed and specific flow – Glenn N. Hamilton (Donegal County Council Fire Service Department, Ireland)
12:35 Debate – Moderator Ana Ferreira (APSEI, Portugal)
12:45 Lunch (not included in conference fee)
14:15 Keynote – How to consider the “performances” of active fire protection systems in the performance based design – Luciano Nigro (Jensen Hughes, Itália)
Session III – Smoke control and fire reaction 14:45 Performance-based design of smoke control systems in underground spaces – João Carlos Viegas (LNEC, Portugal)
14:30 On the influence of obstructions on the car parks ventilation – Sérgio Cavaleiro Costa; Cláudia Casaca; Nuno Henriques (ISEL, Portugal)
14:45 Scale modelling observation on fire spread over vertical greenery system – C.L. Chow*, S.S. Han, Y. Wan and W.P. Fan (Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong)
15:00 Debate – Moderator Sandy Killbourn(SFPE UK / Gartcarron Fire Engineering, Scotland)
15:10 Coffee Break
Session IV – The performance-based design paths 15:40 Evolution of fire safety engineering in Singapore since 2004 – Ho Victor, Lee Hong Chi (HiLT Fire, Singapore)
15:55 Towards a Professional Industry – James McGonigal; Adam Bittern (Astute Fire, Scotland)
16:05 Using average molecular mass to mix fuel molecules for design fires – Bruno Lopes (ETU, Portugal)
16:25 Fire protection in Serbia – Miroslav Gojic (Thermoenergo Engineering, Serbia)
16:40 Debate – Moderator Pedro Silvano (OA / Com Escala, Portugal)
16:50 Conference wrap up
17:00 Conference adjourns
Conference fees & registration Attendees regular fee is 75€. SFPE International member fee is 25€. Speakers don’t pay any fee (abstract acceptance notification until May 11th).
The registration fee includes access to sessions, coffee breaks and certificate of attendance. Lunch is not included.
Registration is made online here.
Abstracts submission You are invited to submit an abstract (two pages maximum) that will be accepted on the basis of their quality by the Conference Program Committee. Abstracts must be submitted by email to
scie-pbd@ordemdosarquitectos.pt until April 20th using the conference template (download link in the bottom of the page). Presentations must be made by one of the authors in English or Portuguese. There will be no simultaneous translation.
Key dates April 20th - Abstract submission deadline
May 11th - Abstract acceptance notification
May 25th - Presentation submission (PPT)
June 5th – Registration deadline
June 8th – Conference
Programe Committee Paulo Ramos (Ordem dos Arquitectos, Portugal)
Pedro Silvano (Ordem dos Arquitectos, Portugal)
Pedro Barbosa (ANPC, Portugal)
Armelle Muller (Laboratoire et Recherche Feu CNPP, France)
Leça Coelho (LNEC, Portugal)
Wojciech Węgrzyński (Instytut Techniki Budowlanej, Poland)
Ana Tomé (Instituto Superior Técnico da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal)
Daniel Nilsson (Lund University, Sweden)
Filipe González (Faculdade de Arquitectura da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal)
Gabriele Vigne (University of Jaen, Spain)
João Paulo Rodrigues (UC, Portugal)
Juan B. Echeverría (Universidad de Navarra, Spain)
Miguel Chichorro (FEUP, Portugal)
Chris Jelenewicz (SFPE, USA)
Luciano Nigro (Hughes Associates Europe, Italy)
About Lisbon Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, lies by the Atlantic Ocean and River Tagus. Its history, gastronomy, climate, lively nightlife and friendly people make it one of the best holiday destinations in Europe. Lisbon's airport has direct flights to most European countries, USA and Canada.
Around Lisbon There’s a lot to see and do around Lisbon. You can go by train to Sintra, one of Europe's most romantic and enchanting towns, or Cascais, a delightful Portuguese fishing town where you can enjoy the beautiful Lisbon's coastline. If you prefer the contact with nature there are several sandy beaches and golf courses you can choose.
Climate Lisbon has a warm-temperate subtropical climate. In June the temperature ranges from 17 to 28ºC (67 to 82ºF), the average rainfall is 16 mm (0,6 inches) and you can enjoy 14,8 hours of daylight, 10 of which with sunshine. The sea temperature is also very pleasant: 18,6ºC (65,5ºF) in June.
Contact For more information please contact
scie-pbd@ordemdosarquitectos.pt.