Fire protection of historic buildings: A case study of Group-living Yard in Tianjin

Historic buildings are of great cultural, research and aesthetic value, and they can reveal past events and developments. Tianjin, an ancient city originated from Yuan dynasty, is famous for its Group-living Yards. Derived from settlements in foreign concession districts, these Yards exhibit different building styles and are now an integral part of Tianjin's cultural heritage. However, many of these buildings disappeared due to the ravages of frequent fire disasters. To protect Group-living Yards and to alleviate fire losses, fire hazard survey was conducted. Then corresponding control and mitigation methods were proposed. Yuan Residence, one of the typical Group-living Yards, was employed as an example to demonstrate the availability of the methods proposed by using fire dynamics simulator. Finally, comprehensive suggestions and disaster mitigation methods were given for Group-living Yards in Tianjin, which gives guidance on developing policies and procedures for incorporating fire prevention and protection features into these buildings.