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Preface

Fire protection engineering is at a threshold in terms of technical development. Substantial progress has been made in developing a theoretical and analytical foundation for the profession. These scientific underpinnings have for the most part not been integrated into daily practice. This dichotomy is due in part to the fact that much of the recent research work has been published in a wide variety of reports and journals spanning many different engineering and scientific disciplines and has not been readily available to the design professional. One of the primary objectives of this handbook is to facilitate the integration of theory and practice by providing this information in a readily accessible form.

The structure and organization of this handbook reflects the current state of technology and the integration of that technology into design. Section I provides a foundation in terms of fundamentals of the various disciplines that form the foundation for Sections II and III-those corresponding to techniques of, Hazard Analysis and Design.

The relationship between theory and design is partially demonstrated by the relative lengths of each section. Section IV "Risk Analysis" is largely independent of the other section; this reflects a fundamental and unacceptable division between deterministic and probabalistic methods. Future editions of this handbook should not suffer from the same discontinuity between sections, provided the theory and practice areas become more integrated.

The difference in relative lengths of the sections is not a reflection of their importance. In the case of Section III, "Design Calculations," much of the material used in design as currently practiced is contained in other handbooks and texts and its repetition here was not considered worthwhile. In other cases, the amount of coverage is a reflection of the state of the art. Most notably the fundamentals are much better documented and developed and have not as yet become part of engineering practice. The logical evolution of the profession will result in future versions of the handbook with more even coverage between topic areas.

This handbook is not a complete documentation of the fire protection engineering profession. By design, it concentrates on quantitative calculation methods. This is not meant as a denigration to other more qualitative, but important, aspects of practice. Rather, it was believed that there was a greater need to collect and document the quantitative aspects.

Even with these caveats there are gaps in the coverage of the handbook. This results naturally from a first edition effort and reflects in some cases the inability to obtain qualified authors and in others the lack of omniscient foresight on the part of the editors. It is hoped that with the comments and suggestions of the users and readers of this handbook, future editions will be improved in this respect.

This handbook represents five years of effort on the part of the authors, editors, and NFPA publication staff. The section editors, Drs. Beyler and Watts and Messrs. Walton and Custer, provided the energy to move the project from an outline on paper to its fruition. The publication staff, most notably Mr. Jim Linville of NFPA, patiently and competently led the editors through the involved publication process. The NFPA, in its willingness to publish the book and in its commitment of resources to the book's accomplishment, demonstrate again its fundamental dedication to all aspects of firesafety.

The largest share of gratitude is due the authors of this handbook. Without their generous contribution of time and expertise this book would not have been possible. These authors, who are international authorities in their technical areas, are owed a debt that cannot be repaid outright. We trust that the application of their work to improved levels of firesafety design will serve as some reward for their efforts.

This project would not have been initiated without the financial and moral support of the members of the SFPE through their Officers and Board of Directors. The enthusiastic support and encouragement of Messrs. Harold E. (Bud) Nelson, P.E., and Ralph E. Collins, III, P.E., both Presidents of SFPE in the development stages of the handbook, and Mr. D. Peter Lund, CAE, the Executive Director of SFPE, are gratefully acknowledged.

A number of individuals assisted with reviews of specific chapters in Section IV. These include: Professor G.A. Fliescher, Ph.D., P.E., Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Southern California; Charles A. Locurto, Ph.D., Norristown, Pennsylvania; John H. McGuire, P. Eng., Ottawa, Ontario; and Professor Jay Weinroth, Ph.D., Department of Administrative Sciences, Kent State University.

Acknowledgment is also extended to Professor M. Elisabeth Pate-Cornell, Ph.D., Department of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management, Stanford University, for her efforts on behalf of the Handbook, and a special note of appreciation is in order for Professor George Apostalakis, Ph.D., School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of California, Los Angeles, for his review of most of the content of Section IV. The Editor in Chief wishes to extend his personal gratitude to Craig Beyler, Doug Walton, Dick Custer and Jack Watts, the Handbook Editors, and to Jim Linville, the Publication Manager, all of whom worked diligently to make the handbook a reality.

The first edition of a handbook of this range and depth will, by definition, improve in scope, coverage, and material with future editions. The comments and suggestions of the readers are welcomed in order that the second edition will more effectively meet your needs.