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Fire Load Calculator

Quantifies the potential energy in a space, as an input to risk assessment and to the design of fire safety measures.

Compartment / storey

The area is taken from the shared workspace — changing it here changes it for the other tools too.

Combustible items

  • Item 1

    A safety data sheet, professional literature or a measurement.

The tool carries no library of calorific values, because the project holds no verified professional source for them. Values are entered by hand together with their source.

Result units

Professional basis

  • Definition of fire load and fire load densityVerified
    Publisher:
    Physical definition — dimensional analysis
    Clause / table:
    E = Σ(mᵢ × Hᵢ) ; q = E / A

    Summing energy and dividing by area. The definition is dimensional and depends on no standard. Calorific values are not included here; the user enters them by hand, with a source.

  • SI definitions and exact unit conversionsVerified
    Publisher:
    BIPM — International System of Units
    Edition:
    SI Brochure, 9th edition
    Clause / table:
    Definitions of the pound, foot, BTU(IT), calorie(IT) and kWh

    Conversion constants that are exact by definition. They are not regulatory values and are not taken from any standard's table. Verified by round-trip tests.

Assumptions

  • The mass entered is the combustible mass actually present in the compartment.
  • The calorific value is a net value (lower heating value), as entered by the user.
  • The fire load is distributed uniformly over the compartment's area.

Limits

  • The tool does not set fire resistance requirements, compartmentation or protection measures.
  • The tool applies no reductions for protection measures or partial burning.

This is a professional aid. It does not constitute an approval, a certificate of conformity or an expert opinion, and it does not replace a specific assessment by a qualified professional or the requirements of the competent authority.

The equation

E = Σ (mᵢ · Hᵢ), q = E / A

E = Σ (mᵢ × Hᵢ)

E [MJ]
Total fire load
q [MJ/m²]
Fire load density
mᵢ [kg]
Mass of the item
Hᵢ [MJ/kg]
Calorific value of the item
A [m²]
Compartment area

Physical definition — dimensional analysis

Result

Missing data

A value is missing that you can supply here and now.

Complete the data to get a result. The calculation updates as you type.

To complete the calculation the following are missing:

  • Area of the compartment / storey
  • At least one combustible item
To the workspace

Your data is stored in this browser alone and is never sent to Hoshen or to anyone else.

Need a professional review?

These tools give a first picture. For a specific review of the building, the materials and the requirements, we would be glad to work with you.

Talk to HoshenFire safety services