The Symposium on Structural Fire Engineering is traditionally held on the day preceding the Braunschweig Fire Protection Days and serves as a scientific platform for presenting and discussing current research in structural fire engineering. It is aimed at researchers, particularly early-career scientists, as well as practicing engineers, fire safety consultants, and structural designers.
The symposium focuses on recent advances in experimental and numerical research and their application to structural fire design. It provides a forum for exchanging ideas on innovative design approaches, material models, and fire safety concepts, thereby bridging the gap between fundamental research and engineering practice. As such, it complements the Braunschweig Fire Protection Days with an in-depth scientific perspective.
Programme 2026
The symposium is structured into four thematic sessions, highlighting current developments in experimental and numerical fire safety engineering research.
Joint Session A – Fire Safety of Concrete Structures and Fire Testing
- High-temperature behaviour of concrete with increased proportions of recycled aggregates
- Behaviour of textile reinforced concrete at elevated temperatures
- Simulation-driven fire protection product development from material properties to structural performance
Session B – Fire Safety of Timber Structures, Fire Protection Materials and Existing Buildings
- Timber-concrete composite floors under fire exposure
- Fire protection performance of clay-plastered clay boards
- Structural stability of fire protection systems after thermal preloading
- Challenges of structural fire engineering for historic buildings
Session C – Pyrolysis Modelling and Fire Spread
- Coupling gas transport and pyrolysis kinetics in FDS
- Oxidation and transport phenomena in wood fibre insulation materials
- Fire protection retrofit solutions for existing flat roofs with photovoltaic systems
- Full-scale fire tests on timber staircases protected by automatic suppression systems
Joint Session D – Structural Fire Engineering
- Experimental and numerical investigations of restrained reinforced concrete columns exposed to fire
- Lateral fire exposure of composite steel beams
- Structural fire design of open multi-storey car parks using natural fire scenarios
The programme comprises eleven scientific presentations complemented by joint discussion sessions, providing insights into the latest developments in structural fire engineering, fire testing, and performance-based fire design. The symposium concludes with the closing remarks by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Zehfuß.
Scientific Board
The scientific quality of the symposium is ensured by an international Scientific Board comprising experts from academia and industry:
- Prof. Dr. Andrea Frangi (ETH Zurich)
- Prof. Emeritus Dr.-Ing. Dietmar Hosser (TU Braunschweig)
- Dr.-Ing. Sascha Hothan (BAM Berlin)
- Prof. Dr.-Ing. Björn Kampmeier (Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences)
- Dr.-Ing. Christoph Klinzmann (hhpberlin)
- Prof. Dr.-Ing. Markus Knobloch (University of Stuttgart)
- Prof. Dr.-Ing. Fabian Brännström (University of Wuppertal)
- Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Mensinger (Technical University of Munich)
- Prof. Dr.-Ing. Peter Schaumann (Leibniz University Hannover)
- Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Zehfuß (TU Braunschweig)
