Fire Resilience of Physical Civil Infrastructure

Fire threats are increasing across the US, stemming from both accidental structural fires and the increasing vulnerability and exposure of communities to wildfires. Due to the growing frequency of extreme events that continue to accelerate the risk of disasters, there is a critical need to fund research that enhances our understanding of the fire resilience of infrastructure. This conference will convene leading experts in structural fire engineering, geotechnical engineering, fire science, and related fields to collaboratively develop a research roadmap that addresses key knowledge gaps to strengthen the resilience of US infrastructure against fire-related damage.
The conference will focus on topics aligned with the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Engineering for Civil Infrastructure (ECI) program, with particular emphasis on the impact of fires on structures, covering both structural fires (e.g., buildings, bridges, tunnels) and wildland-urban interface (WUI) fires. The discussions will prioritize innovation and growth in the field, identifying critical research needs in experimental testing, numerical modeling, and post-fire field data collection. Additionally, the conference will explore the development of research infrastructure necessary to support these efforts, and strategies for workforce development and education.
The outcome of the conference will be a comprehensive report that federal and private agencies can use to prioritize fire research initiatives. This report will aim to bolster the leadership of US institutions in global fire research and strengthen national infrastructure against the escalating threat of fire.