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B-RISK: Design fire tool

B-RISK allows fire simulation results to be presented in a probabilistic form and allows the variability and uncertainty associated with the predictions of the fire environment to be quantified.

B-RISK allows several features to be integrated within the design tool to simulate building fires such as:

  • a design fire generator and item-to-item fire spread module allowing building contents to be randomly placed within a room and the overall rate of heat release to be determined
  • a comprehensive sprinkler response module including operation of multiple heads and parameters for effectiveness and reliability of sprinkler systems
  • Assignment of hold-open devices to doors and open/close vents using a range of trigger criteria
  • Vent flows and smoke migration
  • reliability of other systems such as smoke detectors, mechanical systems and passive elements such as doors
  • C/VM2 user mode - useful for fire analysis required to be in compliance with the New Zealand Building Code
  • visualisation of geometry and results using Smokeview software
  • Monte Carlo multi-iteration sampling for probability/risk analysis
  • the inclusion of various types of balcony spill plume relationships to facilitate the design of smoke management systems within buildings.

BRANZ and the University of Canterbury worked together to develop B-RISK from the BRANZFIRE deterministic fire model. This collaboration was funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and the Building Research Levy.

The continued support and maintenance of B-RISK is funded by the Building Research Levy.

  • Download B-RISK software

    Download the zip file, unzip and run the setup file to install. You may require administrator privileges for the installation. [Version B-RISK-2023-01 - OS Win64].

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  • B-RISK software version release notes

    B-RISK software version updates [B-RISK-2023-01].

    Download [PDF, 335KB]

  • B-RISK user guide and technical manual

    Guidance on use and application of the fire modelling software, which describes assumptions and underlying physics on which the fire model is based. The software is intended for evaluating the performance and hazard associated with room fires.

    Download [PDF, 9.8MB]

  • B-RISK software benchmarking examples

    This report comprises a series of comparisons between experimental data and model predictions using the B-RISK software.

    Download [PDF, 1.5MB]

  • BRANZ TR17 Room size limits for smoke-filling calculations

    Suggests criteria intended to help the user identify when the application of a zone model is more likely to generate acceptable estimates of the smoke-filling process within a room of given dimensions based on a uniform smoke-filling assumptions.

    Download [PDF, 212KB]

Updated: 16 October 2023