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Summary of Workshop on Fire-Structure Interaction and Urban and Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Fires Operation Tomodachi: Fire Research

Published

Author(s)

Samuel L. Manzello, Sayaka S. Suzuki, Tokiyoshi Yamada

Abstract

Dr. Samuel L. Manzello of NIST’s Engineering Laboratory (EL) served as the USA side organizer of the 2nd Japan-USA workshop held in Tokyo, Japan from July 1 to July 4, 2012. This workshop was known as “Operation Tomodachi - Fire Research”. Tomodachi means friendship in Japanese. This workshop, led by Dr. Samuel L. Manzello of EL-NIST and Dr. Tokiyoshi Yamada of the University of Tokyo, was conducted in partnership with the Japan Association of Fire Science and Engineering (JAFSE). The objective is to open a dialogue for new research collaborations between Japan/USA in an effort to develop scientifically based building codes and standards that will be of use to both countries to reduce the devastation caused by unwanted fires. This is a formal continuation of the kickoff meeting held at NIST’s Engineering Laboratory in June 2011. EL-NIST signed a Statement of Intent with JAFSE to hold this workshop, and a follow on workshop at EL-NIST in 2014. On July 1, participants from the USA learned about research at the Tokyo University of Science (TUS) during an optional laboratory tour event. On July 2, the state of the art in Fire Structure-Interaction Research was presented from leading researchers from both countries. EL-NIST’s new National Fire Research Laboratory (NFRL) was presented. From July 3 to July 4, the state of art in Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI)/Urban Fire Research was presented from leading researchers from both countries. An overview of focused research in WUI fires by EL-NIST was provided in two presentations. USA side participants learned about post-tsunami fires that occurred in Japan after the March 11, 2011 Great East Japan earthquake. USA side delegates enjoyed laboratory tours of the Building Research Institute’s facilities as well as those of the National Research Institute of Fire and Disaster (NRIFD). Of special interest was BRI’s Fire Research Wind Tunnel Facility (FRWTF) since Manzello of EL-NIST has used this unique facility for W
Citation
Special Publication (NIST SP) - 1137
Report Number
1137

Keywords

WUI Fires, Fire Structure Interaction

Citation

Manzello, S. , Suzuki, S. and Yamada, T. (2012), Summary of Workshop on Fire-Structure Interaction and Urban and Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Fires Operation Tomodachi: Fire Research, Special Publication (NIST SP), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.sp.1137 (Accessed March 28, 2024)
Created September 28, 2012, Updated November 10, 2018