Deriving Major Fire Risk Evaluation Items Utilizing Spatial Information Convergence Technology in Dense Areas of Small Obsolete Buildings

Abstract

As small obsolete buildings are exposed to high fire risks, governments are trying to evaluate their fire risks and preferentially improve fire protection performance for high risk buildings, however, the evaluation manpower and time are insufficient compared to the rapidly increasing number of obsolete buildings. Therefore, this study aimed to derive major fire risk index (FRI) evaluation items as part of developing a platform to quickly and efficiently evaluate fire risks in dense areas of small obsolete buildings utilizing spatial information convergence technology. To this end, 20 preliminary evaluation items specifically tailored to dense areas of small obsolete buildings were derived through a field survey, investigation of FRI evaluation items from existing works, and expert pre-reviews. Based on the derived 20 preliminary items, an importance survey was conducted with a total of 181 fire safety experts including fire officers, university professors, researchers, industry experts, and fire insurers. As a result, a total of 12 major evaluation items (e.g., outdoor fire extinguisher, distance to 119 Safety Center, building structure, building cladding, illegal alterations, illegal parking, and liquefied natural gas cylinder) were derived. Results can help to evaluate the fast and efficient fire risks in dense areas of small obsolete buildings.