Sathya Bandaranayake

The rapid growth of electric vehicles (EVs) has introduced new fire safety challenges for the built environment, particularly within reinforced concrete structures. Fires involving lithium-ion batteries are substantially different from conventional hydrocarbon-fuelled fires due to their rapid heat escalation, extended burning duration, and potential for re-ignition caused by thermal runaway. This study assesses the adequacy of existing fire design standards in addressing these emerging hazards, emphasising the spalling behaviour of concrete under EV induced fire exposure. The study found that concrete structures are highly vulnerable to spalling when exposed to EV fires, as the typical temperatures initiating concrete spalling are significantly lower than the extreme temperatures and re-ignition produced during an EV battery fire. Moreover, the evidence suggests that EV fires can sustain peak temperatures exceeding 1000 °C in a short period, which exceeds the assumptions underlying standard fire curves, such as ISO 834. A comparative assessment of the National Construction Code (NCC 2022) and standards (i.e., AS 1530.4, EN 1992-1-2) reveals that current design methodologies and fire-resistance ratings underestimate the severity and duration of EV fire conditions. This study also proposes code-aligned improvements and a performance-based evaluation framework that integrates empirical EV fire curves. The findings highlight a pressing need to re-examine fire design provisions and update thermal exposure assumptions to ensure that reinforced concrete infrastructure remains structurally safe and reliable as EV adoption increases.

Buildings consume energy and are responsible for a significant portion of greenhouse gas emissions in Australia. Increased standards are being set for building thermal performance. Given the rising demand for energy-efficient housing solutions, this work explores the potential application of innovative technologies to enhance the thermal performance. Since modular construction is attracting popularity owing to numerous advantages, including its efficiency and cost-effectiveness, optimising the thermal performance is a way to further improve its popularity, particularly in diverse Australian climates. Smart materials are unique and have desirable properties when subjected to a change in the external environment. Integration of smart insulation materials in prefabricated buildings forecasts a potential to expand the horizon of thermal performance of prefabricated buildings and subsequently lead towards an enhanced energy performance. This work investigates the effects of aerogel, phase change materials (PCMs), and electrochromic glazing. To assess their potential to improve the thermal performance of a modular house, building energy performance simulations were conducted for three different climatic conditions in Australia. Individual implementation of innovative technologies and their combined effects were also quantified. The combination of the three innovative technologies has yielded total annual energy savings of 15.6%, 11.2%, and 6.1% for Melbourne, Perth, and Brisbane, respectively.