Structural Fire Engineering, Fire Behaviour, Informal Settlement Fire Safety

Email: rwalls@sun.ac.za

Phone: 021 808 9584

Office: S4009

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Short Bio

Prof Richard Walls is the head of the Fire Engineering Research Unit at Stellenbosch University, Africa’s first research team with a focus on fire engineering and structural fire design. Various fire related topics are currently being investigated, such as the design of steel structures in fire, analysis of structures in fire, forensic fire investigations, 3D printed concrete in fire, materials behaviour and informal settlement fire behaviour. Full-scale fire tests on shacks have been conducted on around seventy homes to understand fire behaviour, spread and how to reduce the impact of such fires. Consulting work has been done for companies developing rational structural fire design systems, and ascertaining the fire resistance of products. He was part of the team analysing the Knysna fire disaster, sponsored by Santam, and specifically considered why almost 1000 homes were lost in South Africa’s largest wildland fire disaster. He has contributed to publications by the United Nations and World Bank on developing world fire safety issues.

Education/Qualifications

PhD (Structural fire engineering) – Stellenbosch University
MSc (Structural engineering) – University of the Witwatersrand
GDE (Materials and geotech) – University of the Witwatersrand
BScEng(Civil) – University of the Witwatersrand
BTh (Theology) – SA Theological Seminary

Professional Experience

2010-2014: Worked as a structural engineer on industrial, commercial and petrochemical projects in industry before joining SU. Experience in design of steel, concrete, composite, retaining and industrial structures.
2014-present: Lecturer in the Department of Civil Engineering.

Honours, Awards, Memberships

In 2020 he was awarded the “TW Kambule-NSTF Award: Emerging Researcher” national award. The national NSTF-South32 Awards are the largest Science, Engineering & Technology & Innovation (SETI) awards in South Africa, known as the ‘Science Oscars’. His research has been covered by multiple newspapers, radio stations and websites.

Stellenbosch University Engineering Faculty Awards: Best post-graduate thesis in Civil Engineering 2016; Emerging Researcher of the Year in 2017; Academic of the Year in 2020.

Fellow of the SA Institute of Civil Engineers.

Research Interests

Fire safety engineering in general with focus areas on:
– Structural fire design
– Fire dynamics
– Informal settlement fire safety
– Material and product development

Selected Publications

A list of his published works can be found on his Google Scholar profile.

(https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=T-GtZPMAAAAJ&hl=en)

International Collaborations

University of Edinburgh, Oklahoma State University, National Fire Protection Association (USA), Kindling Safety (USA).
Funding has been received from the Lloyd’s Register Foundation, Royal Academy of Engineering and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) (UK).

Teaching

SD424 Structural design – Steel structures
Fire Behavior – MEng elective
Structural Fire Engineering – MEng elective