The Department of Fire-Safe Sustainable Built Environment (the result of the FRISSBE ERA Chair project) in the Fire Laboratory is divided into two sections; (1) Fire Laboratory and Fire Engineering and (2) Fire Research and Innovation Unit.

Proving fire properties of building products

At construction sites, there is often a lack of understanding of the prescribed requirements regarding the fire properties of various building products, from fire walls and their cladding materials to products that enhance fire resistance of load-bearing structures of a building. To enhance knowledge on the subject, a seminar entitled "Proving fire properties of building products" took place from 9 AM to 3 PM, conducted by Milan Hajduković, former head of the Fire Laboratory.

Participants were introduced to building products and passive measures influencing the fire safety of a structure, partly also covering active fire protection systems. The instructor explained the fire properties of these products, how manufacturers prove them, why their certification is important, what documents are necessary for buyers, and how they should be installed to serve their purpose. Several examples of fires were presented where appropriately chosen building materials successfully halted the progression of the fire.

The seminar was intended for fire safety designers, auditors, authorized and supervisory engineers, architects, manufacturers, and suppliers of building products, construction managers, construction executors, various inspectors (market, construction, and fire), and anyone with doubts about the suitability of building products on which the fire safety of constructed objects depends.

Internal meeting of ZAG employees

The fact that ZAG is internally interdisciplinary can be also seen in small-scale meetings. Dr Andrea Lucherini from Fire Research and Innovation Unit, Dr Urška Blumauer from Fire Laboratory and Fire Engineering, Dr Mirjam Bajt Leban from Laboratory for Metals, Corrosion and Anti-Corrosion Protection, and Dr Andrej Anžlin from Section for Bridges and other Engineering Structures met in the conference room on the second floor. They discussed collaborations opportunities and research projects related to the assessment and diagnostics of post-fire performance of steel structures.

WoDeFi meeting

Prof Grunde Jomaas and Dr Ulises Rojas-Alva hosted a meeting with InnoRenew CoE partner for the WoDeFi project (ARIS funding no. J4-50132). Dr Prof Andreja Kutnar, PhD student Han Lei and other researchers from InnoRenew attended the meeting to discuss the progress of the project. Additionally, lengthy discussion took place to assess which wood-modification method would yield the best results in terms of fire safety. The meeting was very productive and will continue in the future.