Faculty
Brian J. Meacham
Associate Professor
Office: Higgins Laboratories, 110
Phone: +1-508-831-6778
Fax: +1-508-831-5862
bmeacham@wpi.edu
Educational Background
- B.S., Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 1984
- M.S., Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 1991
- Ph.D., Clark University, 2000
Research & Teaching Interests
Risk & building regulatory policy; risk-informed performance-based regulatory and design frameworks; performance-based fire protection analysis and design; risk perception and communication; response of people to fire; human behavior and evacuation studies; building performance; multi-hazard threat, vulnerability and risk assessment.
IQP Advising Interests
Rehabilitation of buildings, international comparisons, regulatory decision making (quasi-judicial)
Research
My research spans a broad cross-section of building fire safety risk and performance issues, from regulatory issues, to building design, to post-fire investigation and analysis. Current and recent research includes development of risk-informed performance-based building and fire regulation, risk-informed performance-based analysis and design for buildings, analysis of fire hazards in passenger rail vehicles, post-earthquake building fire performance, and reliability of information in post-fire investigation. Research will soon be starting in human behavior and evacuation response in fire and emergency events, including investigation of the impact of cultural differences on behavior and movement.
Research Grants
- SGER: Collection of Data on Fire at Faculty of Architecture Building, Technical University at Delft, NSF Award 0840601, August 1, 2008 – April 30, 2009, $11,377. To collect data on the fire-induced damage of a multistory building in Delft, the Netherlands. Co-Is Michael Engelhardt (University of Texas, Austin) and Venkatesh Kodur (Michigan State University).
- Rail Vehicle Fire Hazard Guidance,Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate - International Programs Division, Award 2009-ST-108-000013, May 1, 2009 – October 31, 2010, $199,903. The primary objective of this research program is to simulate potential vulnerabilities in critical passenger rail transportation infrastructure when subjected to various ignition scenarios. Co-Is Prof. Nicholas Dembsey (WPI) and Jeffrey Tubbs, PE (Arup).
- Advanced Research into Performance-Based Fire Safety Design Methods, June 1, 2010 – December 31, 2010, $87,000. Korean Institute for Construction Technology (KICT). The focus of the research is on benchmarking best practice in performance-based design and development of a database on typical material properties for use in PD analysis. Co-I Prof. Nicholas Dembsey.
- Quantification of Fire Risk, Performance Levels, Design Fires and Acceptance Criteria for Use in Performance-Based Codes and Fire Safety Design, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Building and Fire Research Laboratory (NIST/BFRL), extramural fire research grants program, September 1, 2010 – August 31, 2013, $341,602 (Year 1 award $88,000).
Recent Publications
Collaborations
- Clark University, George Perkins March Institute, Socio-Technical Transition Initiative (http://www.clarku.edu/departments/marsh/about/initiative.cfm)
- SGER: Collection of Data on Fire at Faculty of Architecture Building, Technical University at Delft, NSF Award 0840601. Collaborative research with Michael Engelhardt (University of Texas, Austin) and Venkatesh Kodur (Michigan State University) in the USA, and with IJsbrand van Straalen and Johan Maljaars (TNO), René de Feijter and Kees Both (Efectis), and Kees van Weeren (Delft University of Technology), the Netherlands.
- Rail Vehicle Fire Hazard Guidance,Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate - International Programs Division, Award 2009-ST-108-000013. Collaborative research with Jeffrey Tubbs, PE and Matt Johann, PE, Arup.
- Full-Scale Structural and Nonstructural Building System Performance during Earthquakes & Post Earthquake Fire, supported by NSF NEESR Award 0936505 and industry. Joint academic and industrial initiative, led by Tara Hutchinson and her colleagues Jose Restrepo and Joel Conte, University of California San Diego (UCSD), Ken Walsh, San Diego State University (SDSU), and Claudia Marin, Howard University, along with numerous industry partners (see project website - http://bncs.ucsd.edu/index.html).
Honors & Awards
- Fellow – Society of Fire Protection Engineers – Elected to the grade of Fellow “in recognition of significant accomplishment and stature in engineering,” May 2000.
Years of Service at WPI
- 2008-present, Associate Professor
Professional Experience & Activities
- 2000-2007, Principal, Ove Arup & Partners Massachusetts, Inc. (Arup), Westborough, MA
- 1998-2000, Research Director, Society of Fire Protection Engineers, Bethesda, MD
- 1995-1998, Technical Director, Society of Fire Protection Engineers, Boston, MA
- 1993-1995, Principal Fire Protection Engineer, Cerberus/FireTech, Meilen, Switzerland
- 1992-2000, Principal, Meacham Associates, Westborough and Worcester, MA
- 1989-1992, Senior Associate, FP&C Consultants, Newton, MA
- 1989, Associate, Manager of Detection and Alarm Group, Firepro, Wellesley Hills, MA
- 1984-1989, Various Engineering/Engineering Manager Position, Gamewell Corporation, Medway and Franklin, MA
Professional Societies/Memberships
- Institution of Fire Engineers (IFireE), Chartered Engineer Member (CEng)
- Inter-jurisdictional Regulatory Collaboration Committee (IRCC), Immediate Past Chair, Member
- International Association for Fire Safety Science (IAFSS), Member
- International Code Council (ICC), Professional Member
- National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Member
- Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), Fellow, Member – Board of Directors (2009-11), Member – Executive Committee (2010), Chair – Executive Director Search Committee (2009)
- Society for Risk Analysis (SRA), Member
Media Coverage
- Interviewed for Consulting and Specifying Engineer (CSE) Magazine website regarding various issues in fire protection engineering (facilitated by WPI Marketing, December 2010). Intent is to have a number of short, 2-3 minute video clips posted on the CSE Magazine website.
- Interviewed in Seoul by reporters for the Joong Ang Daily, a large South Korean newspaper that publishes an English insert for the International Herald Tribune. The October 2010 interview focused on high-rise fire safety (the interview followed a high-rise fire in South Korea the week before).