Institution of Fire EngineersRasbash Lecture History
David Rasbash was a pioneer in the field of fire engineering; he had a very broad vision and a wide-ranging interest in many subjects, and recognised no barriers between chemistry, chemical engineering, physics, statistics, material testing, and so on. He was involved in some aspect of fire research which continued beyond his formal retirement.
David was a chemical engineer who graduated at Imperial College during World War 2. In his early career, David conducted significant research on various techniques of fire extinction, assisting firefighters. He also was interested in the production of smoke and its effect on visibility. David was an early proponent of the standardisation of automatic fire detection; he also carried out early work on explosions, and later became involved in the evaluation of fire safety and the quantification of risk - all his contributions to these subjects have become standard references.
After working in industry (Fire Research Station), David rejoined the academic world and was appointed the first Professor of Fire Engineering at the University of Edinburgh. The firm foundation laid by David contributed to the confidence of the Engineering Council that Fire Safety Engineering was a discipline worthy of recognition, which eventually culminated in the formation of the IFE Engineering Council Division.
2009 Rasbash Medal
Dr. Craig L. Beyler was the recipient of the 2009 Rasbash Medal and is the technical director of Hughes Associates, Fire Science and Engineering, and is currently the Chair of the International Association for Fire Safety Science.
He hold BS degrees in Civil Engineering (Cornell) and Fire Protection Engineering (Univ. of Maryland), and MSc degrees in Mechanical Engineering (Cornell) and Fire Safety Engineering (Univ of Edinburgh, during the tenure of Prof. Rasbash). He earned a Ph.D. in engineering science at Harvard University under the direction of Professor Howard Emmons and served on the faculty of Worcester Polytechnic Institute's Center for Firesafety Studies. Early in his career, he was a visiting scientist at the Fire Research Station, Borehamwood.
He was the founding editor of the Journal of Fire Protection Engineering and currently serves as the Associate Editor of Fire Technology. He has also been a section editor for the Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering through the four editions of the volume. He is well published in the areas of fire dynamics, fire chemistry, and fire modeling.
Among his awards is the Arthur B. Guise Medal presented by the Society of Fire Protection Engineers.
PhD in Engineering Science, Harvard University, 1983
MS in Mechanical Engineering, Cornell University, 1980
MSc. in Fire Safety Engineering, University of Edinburgh, 1978
BS in Fire Protection Engineering, University of Maryland, 1976
BS in Civil Engineering, Cornell University, 1975
His talk was entitled "A Review of Fire Suppression Science and Engineering, Firepoint Theory and Beyond" which reviews the state-of-the-art of fire suppression with specific reference to Firepoint Theory of fire suppression that Prof. Rasbash developed.
The following presentations were presented at this years Lecture:-
Niall Ramsden BSc PhD CPhys CEng MInstP MInstPet MIFireE Member of NFPA - Presentation;
Extinguishing Tank Fires - Lessons from Buncefield Professor Vasily Novozhilov, University of Ulster -Advanced Modelling of Suppression: Present and Future
Dr Ricky Carvel, University of Edinburgh -Fire Safety in Tunnels: Are Suppression Systems the Answer?
Dr Jim Marsden, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service - Environmental Aspects of Fires
Dr Corinne Williams, BRE Fire & Security - The Application of Water Mist Systems in Buildings in the UK (Please be aware that copying Text and Images from this file is prohibited)