TECSA Director Luca Fiorentini (a professional member of the SFPE since 2008) participated in the prestigious Performance Based Design Conference of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers, held in Singapore from April 15 to 17, 2026.
TECSA’s involvement was particularly significant and included several presentations, such as a case study, an international panel, an oral presentation, and a poster.
The case study was developed in response to an international benchmark established by the association. Four groups—including the Italian group led by Luca Fiorentini—from the United Kingdom, Japan, New Zealand, and Poland, selected from numerous proposals received, developed a fire protection strategy with performance-based solutions for a complex building intended to house diplomatic offices, a museum, an art gallery, and a public gathering space. Each group presented its approach, highlighting the distinctive aspects of the in-depth studies conducted using fire engineering methods.
Luca Fiorentini also represented Italy on a panel of experts, led by Brian Meacham, for a discussion on the state of the art in performance-based fire protection engineering and its future. A number of other countries participated in the panel (South Africa, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and the United States). This roundtable highlighted how engineers from different regions interpret and apply PBD in practice, highlighting both common principles and fundamental differences in implementation. The speakers illustrated how different approval procedures, documentation requirements, and stakeholder engagement strategies influence the way performance-based solutions are developed and validated. While some jurisdictions favor flexibility and innovation, others maintain more structured pathways, requiring engineers to adapt their analytical approaches accordingly.
During the same conference, the director of TECSA presented two technical papers, addressing, respectively, emerging safety risks related to fires and explosions that can be effectively managed through the use of fire engineering methods and risk analysis, pertaining, respectively, spaceports for the launch of horizontal takeoff and landing space vehicles and battery energy storage systems (BESS).
Below are details regarding the two papers presented, along with complete information about the authors of the contributions:
- “A Framework for Assessing Risks Associated with HAZMAT Storage and Handling Procedures at HTOL Spaceports in Italy” by L. Fiorentini together with A. Respighi and C. Giovanniello (TECSA), G. Monti (ENAC), F. Pilo (National Fire Department), L. Marmo (Turin Polytechnic).
- “Behind the performance-based design in CFD consequence calculations for BESS fire and explosion scenarios: the characterization of selected parameters and critical discussion about their influence on scenario outcomes” by L. Fiorentini together with N. Berteletti (TECSA), P. Cancelliere (National Fire Department), F. Vazzana (ISPRA), and F. Dattilo (University of Padua, former Chief Emeritus of the National Fire Department).
This participation once again demonstrated TECSA’s commitment to fostering high-level knowledge sharing among international experts within the rigorous and recognized framework of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), which today brings together more than 5,500 experts in performance-based fire protection engineering across various application sectors worldwide.
