GIDAI group
GIDAI – Fire Safety – Research and Technology is a Research Group of the Department of Transport and Technology of Projects and Processes of the University of Cantabria, Spain, composed by more than 20 peoples including Professors and Researchers, PhD students, laboratory technicians and administrative staff.
For over 15 years GIDAI Group has been developing an intensive research activity, technology transfer and training in the field of Fire Science and the Human Behavior in Emergency Conditions and its transfers to society in order to improve Fire Safety.
Inside the scope of GIDAI can be noted the emphasis to improve the understanding of processes related with compartment fires (buildings, infrastructures, transportation, etc.) and forest fires, through basic research projects or collaborative research programs between public and private sector. Also, it is inherent to GIDAI’s activities the interest for education at the University and the improvement of Safety culture in society.
Fundraising Ability for Research
GIDAI scientific activity is funded in different ways: from Research Projects funded under Competitive Public Calls and Private Contracts with Companies and organisms to Research specific topics of its interest. The ability of GIDAI Group to generate funds for research has been particularly intense in recent years, presenting more than 85 R+D proposal to Public Calls with a relevant rate of request granted. During the last five years this rate has been significantly increased, raising funds for more than 5 million Euros.
Likewise, a stable cooperation on Public - Private has been reinforced, as reflected in more than 15 cooperation agreements in the last three years, being particularly significant the researches in the field of infrastructures and media for rail passenger transportation systems, counting with the support of reference Spanish entities.
GIDAI’s work has been always in a close relation with the productive sector of our region and the commitment with society. For example, during the last two years has been generated financial support for activities related to Cantabria companies worth over 300,000 Euros. Furthermore, in the field of knowledge transfer to Cantabria society can be noted the actions associated with the venture generated within GIDAI Group. These actions include the creation of two technology-based spin-offs whose activities fall within the application of advanced modeling and computer simulation tools for fire safety engineering solutions and thermal analysis using infrared thermography.
Scientific Productivity
Scientific productivity of GIDAI Group has been significantly increased over the years. In the past two years GIDAI researchers have published
40 papers in Scientific Journals and in peer-reviewed conferences. Additionally, two doctoral theses have been defended.
GIDAI scientific activities are also supported by the organization of congresses and workshops annually, presenting a high level of assistance and the recognition by the international scientific community on the international circuits of events related to the topic. Figure 1shows the plenary session of one of the Conferences.
In addition, these events have counted with the participation of many renowned international prestige researchers, both as speakers and as part of the scientific committee including: Prof. Carlos Fernández-Pello, Prof. James Quintiere, Prof. José Torero, Prof. Dougal Drysdale, Prof. Arnaud Trouve, Prof. Charles Fleischmann, Prof. George Hadjisophocleous, Prof. Bart Merci, Prof. Frederick W. Mowrer, Prof. Bogdan Dlugogorski, Prof. Wan-Ki Chow, Dr. Vytensis Babrauskas, Prof. Takeyoshi Tanaka, etc.
Table 1 shows a resume of the latest Congresses and Workshops organized by GIDAI.
Year
|
Type of Event
|
Title
|
Invited Lecturer
|
2004
|
International
Technical Congress
|
'Computational
Simulation Models in Fire Engineering
and Research'
ISBN: 84-8102-383-3
|
Fernández-Pello, C.
University of
Maryland (USA)
|
2005
|
International
Technical Congress
|
'Fire safety in
terrestrial Passenger Transportation'
ISBN: 84-8102-978-5
|
Hirschler, M.
GBH International
(USA)
|
2006
|
International
Congress
|
'Fire Safety in
Tall Buildings'
ISBN: 84-8102-415-5
|
Torero, J.L.
University of
Edinburgh (UK)
|
2007
|
Advanced Research
Workshop
|
'Fire Computer
Modelling'
ISBN:
978-84-8102-468-5
|
Trouve, A.
University of
Maryland (USA)
|
2008
|
International
Congress
|
'Smoke Control in
Buildings and Tunnels'
ISBN:
978-84-8102-516-3
|
Mowrer, F.W.
University of
Maryland (USA)
|
2009
|
Advanced Research
Workshop
|
'Fire Protection
and Life Safety in Buildings and
Transportation Systems'
ISBN:
978-84-8102-559-0
|
Fleischmann, C.M.
University of
Canterbury
(New Zealand)
|
2010
|
International Congress
|
'Combustion and
Fire Dynamics'
ISBN:
978-84-86116-23-1
|
Quintiere, J.G.
University of
Maryland (USA)
Liñan, A.
Polytechnic
University of Madrid (Spain)
|
Research Infrastructures
The investment of more than 1 million Euros from GIDAI has allowed the acquisition of outstanding research infrastructures, unique in Spain. Our Group has complete equipment for thermal analysis (Simultaneous Thermal Analysis - STA, Laser Flash Method - LFA, etc.), small scale calorimetry (Fire Propagation Apparatus, Cone Calorimeter, Mass Loss Calorimeter, Vitiated Atmosphere Calorimeter, etc.), and full scale calorimetry (Room Corner Test).
Complementary, GIDAI has the ability and equipments to develop full scale test in end-use condition, small scale physical models, infrared thermography analysis, behavioral studies of evacuation in case of emergency and significant processing resources for computational modeling.
Additionally, the creation of GIDAI – Fire Research Center is an initiative included in the Cantabria International Campus Projects of the University of Cantabria, and in collaboration with the City Council of Santander. The proposal has obtained funds for more than 2 million Euros from the Ministry of Education of the Government of Spain.
The mission of this new center is to ensure the growth of the research capacity and knowledge transfer, generating a center of scientific excellence dedicated to improve knowledge of fire dynamics and combustion, and the people safety during Emergency evacuation situations. The center aims to become a reference in Spain and internationally in basic and applied research in the development of studies, methodologies and tools for Science and Technology for Fire Safety.