Typology-Specific Gaps in Building Fire Safety: A Scientometric Review of Technologies, Functions, and Research Trends
Year: 2025
Type: review
Study design: Systematic Review
Abstract: Fires remain a critical threat to the resilience and safety of the built environment, yet current research is often fragmented across building types, technologies, and functions. This study investigates typology-specific gaps in fire safety by conducting a scientometric review of peer-reviewed articles published between 2010 and 2025. Following a PRISMA-guided protocol, a total of 83 studies indexed in the Web of Science were systematically screened and analyzed using VOSviewer (v1.6.19) and the R-based Bibliometrix package (version 4.2.1). The dataset was classified according to building typologies, fire safety functions—detection, suppression, and evacuation—and applied technologies such as BIM, simulation platforms, and AI-based models. The results show a strong research bias toward evacuation modeling in high-rise and general-purpose buildings, while critical typologies including healthcare facilities, heritage structures, and informal settlements remain underexplored. Suppression systems and real-time detection technologies are rarely integrated, and technological applications are often fragmented rather than interoperable. A conceptual matrix is proposed to align tools with typology-specific risk profiles, highlighting mismatches between research priorities and building functions. These findings emphasize the need for integrated, data-driven, and context-sensitive fire safety strategies that bridge methodological innovation with practical application, offering a roadmap for advancing resilient and adaptive fire safety in diverse urban settings.
Source: Fire
DOI: 10.3390/fire8110423
Author: Fatma Kürüm Varolgüneş
Institution: Bingöl University
Language: English
Subfield: Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,896
OpenAlex ID: W4415817970