SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering, 5th edition

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The SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering, 5th edition, is the definitive reference on fire protection engineering and performance-based fire safety. Over 130 eminent fire engineers and researchers contributed chapters to the Handbook, representing universities and organizations worldwide. It remains the essential source for:

• Fire safety engineering fundamentals
• Fire dynamics
• Hazard calculations
• Fire risk analysis, modeling, and more. 

With 17 new chapters and over 1,800 figures, the 5th edition contains: 

• Step-by-step equations that explain engineering calculations
• Revised coverage of human behavior in fire, including several new chapters on egress system design, occupant evacuation scenarios, combustion toxicity, and data for human behavior analysis 
• Revised chapters for a stronger sense of context 
• Added chapters on fire protection system selection and design, including a selection of fire safety systems, system activation and controls, and CO2 extinguishing systems 
• Recent progress in fire resistance design 
• New chapters on industrial fire protection, including vapor clouds, effects of thermal radiation on people, BLEVEs, dust explosions, and gas, and vapor explosions 
• New chapters on fire load density, curtain walls, wildland fires, and vehicle tunnels 
• Essential reference appendices on conversion factors, thermophysical property data, fuel properties, and combustion data, configuration factors, and piping properties

“Three-volume set; not available separately.”

Plans for the 6th edition

In 2016, the SFPE board of directors appointed a subcommittee to review the process used to publish the 5th edition and submit comments for the next edition. As part of this process, the subcommittee:

• Sent a member survey with (230 member submissions)
• Held ten meetings to review, discuss, and debate the wide range of input obtained.

The report included 15 recommendations related to format, editorial board roles, and content. Thank you to all of our dedicated members who joined in this process.