MATERIAL RESPONSE
Cone calorimeter
Measuring heat release and material response under controlled thermal exposure.
Measure. Model.
Experience.
From our Carleton fire laboratory and Calgary field experiments to immersive evacuation research.
01 / CARLETON FIRE SAFETY LABORATORY
Start with the material.
Our Fire Safety Laboratory in the Minto Building at Carleton University supports controlled studies of material response, ignition, heat release, flame spread, and smoke.
The cone calorimeter and LIFT apparatus connect careful measurements with predictive fire models.
02 / CALGARY FIRE TRAINING CENTRE
Following embers from field to lab.
In 2025, EMBER conducted controlled lodgepole pine burns at the Calgary Fire Training Centre. Thermal cameras and ember collectors helped trace how firebrands rise in the plume, travel with wind, and settle around the source.
The same research programme continues in our custom wind tunnel, where controlled airflow lets us investigate ember transport and interactions with building materials. Together, field observations and laboratory studies inform models of firebrand generation, transport, and ignition in the wildland–urban interface.
VIRTUAL REALITY & HUMAN BEHAVIOURA place to study
A place to study
the path to safety.
Established by Dr. Mohamed Beshir in May 2026 through research funding and departmental support, our VR hub enables controlled studies of evacuation decisions without exposing participants to a real fire.
The facility supports doctoral research, international collaboration with Lund University, teaching, capstone projects, and work with government and industry.
Immersive hardware
- Two Meta Quest 3 headsets (512 GB)
- One Meta Quest Pro headset
- Two ASUS ROG G700 VR workstations
- Four Acer Nitro 24.5-inch FHD monitors
- Controllers, peripherals, and seated workspaces
Software & experimental environments
- Vizard with a perpetual licence
- SightLab VR Pro
- Virtual underground-station environment
- Scenarios involving lifts, escalators, refuge areas, and accessible routes
Inclusive by design
Our evacuation research examines route choices, information, and assistance for people with mobility disabilities. Seated VR configurations and participant-centred study design help us investigate the experiences that conventional evacuation models can overlook.
MATERIALS & MODELLING
The tools behind the questions.
IGNITION & FLAME SPREAD
LIFT apparatus
Investigating lateral ignition and flame spread on material surfaces.
Smoke density chamber
Characterising smoke production and optical obscuration.
Computational fire science
Computing facilities support CFD simulations, molecular-scale modelling, and analysis of experimental data.
Bring your curiosity.
Make a difference.
Interested in graduate research or a collaboration? Let’s explore how we can advance fire safety together.
Explore opportunities