Αναλυτικές και άλλες εργαστηριακές δοκιμασίες για τον καθορισμό δεικτών ευφλεκτότητας δασικών υλών, επιλεγμένων από ζώνες μίξεως δάσους-κατοικιών του λεκανοπεδίου Αττικής σε συνάρτηση με τις τοπογραφικές και μετεωρολογικές συνθήκες ; Analytical and other laboratory tests for the determination of forest fuels flammability indices, collected from a wildland urban interface zone of Athens, in relation with topographic and meteorological conditions

The objective of the present PhD study is to determine risk indices to prevent and fight forest fires in the Wildland/Urban Interface (WUI) area Thrakomakedones (Athens, Greece), using analytical methods and lab-scale techniques, in connection with the topographic and meteorological data. The objective of the first work is to determine the forest species relative particle foliar combustibility, using thermal analysis (TG, DTG and SDTA) under oxygen atmosphere, calorimetry and a new lab-scale flame spread test. Based on the thermal-calorimetry analysis and flame spread test data, the examined forest species were ranked into categories. Thus, the most combustible fuel was Pinus halepensis and the least one was Cistus incanus. A method was developed to measure the relative particle ignitability (spontaneous and pilot) of forest species using thermogravimetry (TG/DTG) and limiting oxygen index (LOI) techniques. The relationships of spontaneous with pilot ignition and ignitability with other flammability parameters (i.e., combustion duration), were investigated. Based on the above ignitability measurements the examined forest species were ranked into categories. Thus, the most ignitable fuel was forest litter and the least one Pistacia lentiscus. Moreover, the particle and plant flammability of various forest species have been determined, using analytical and lab-scale tests. The analytical technique chosen was differential thermogravimetry (DTG), under air flow conditions, and the lab-scale ones were limiting oxygen index (LOI) and flame spread tests. Based on the above techniques, a method was developed for measuring all particle and plant flammability parameters: ignitability, combustibility, sustainability and consumability. Comparing the particle with the plant flammability we found that particles are more flammable than the leaves. However, the relative particle flammability is very close to the relative plant flammability. The main purpose of the last work is to evaluate and combine various thermochemical ...