Invitation to the event : Margaret Law Award – Presented by Arup (Toronto) on March 13, 2025 at 1:00 pm!
On February 12, 2025, Luc Girompaire, a PhD candidate, presented his master’s research project to the team at the prestigious engineering firm Arup in Australia and Asia. This presentation aimed to highlight the three winners of the 2024 Margaret Law Award, which recognizes excellence in fire safety engineering research for graduate students. Congratulations to Luc, who secured third place in this renowned international competition!
You are cordially invited to the Margaret Law Award ceremony, which will take place on Thursday, March 13, 2025, from 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM in the Gibert-Tardif room (GHK-2320/2330). On this occasion, Audrey Roy-Poirier from Arup will present her work in fire safety engineering, followed by presentations from Luc Girompaire and Antony Beaulieu, both graduate students at CRMR under the supervision of Christian Dagenais, invited professor and lead scientist at FPInnovations.
We look forward to seeing many of you there to celebrate this achievement and support the success of our members, who contribute to the influence of CRMR and FFGG!
For more information on the Margaret Law Award: The Margaret Law Fire Safety Award
Luc Girompaire’s scientific article is available at the following link:
Girompaire, L., Dagenais, C. Fire Dynamics of Mass Timber Compartments with Exposed Surfaces: Development of an Analytical Model. Fire Technol 60, 1477–1501 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10694-023-01528-y.
Title and Presentation Summary: Fire Safety in Mass Timber Buildings
Arup is a global firm of designers, engineers, and technical experts dedicated to sustainable development. For over 50 years, Arup has remained at the forefront of fire safety engineering by investing in its employees and research. Given the growing interest in low-carbon materials, Arup recently published a guide on fire safety in mass timber buildings.
This presentation will introduce fundamental concepts in fire safety design for mass timber buildings, including fire resistance, encapsulation, and risks associated with exposed timber surfaces. Examples of mass timber buildings designed by Arup will be showcased, highlighting some of the challenges overcome in each project. The presentation will conclude with an overview of a major research project led by Arup on fires in large mass timber compartments.
Speaker Biography
Audrey Roy-Poirier is a senior fire safety engineer at Arup. For nearly seven years, she has advised architects, structural, mechanical, and electrical engineers, facility owners, and managers on best practices to ensure the safety of people and buildings in the event of a fire.
She is a licensed engineer in Quebec and Ontario and holds a PhD in engineering from the University of Edinburgh, specializing in biomass pyrolysis. Currently, she serves as the lead fire safety expert for Metrolinx on the On-Corridor Works project, an expansion and electrification initiative for the Greater Toronto Area’s GO transit network. Before joining Arup, she worked for four years as a fire safety research officer at the National Research Council of Canada.