
Overview
Background
Biography
Dr Juan P. Hidalgo is a Senior Adjunct Fellow within the School of Civil Engineering (honorary position) and is currently a Fire Safety Engineer at Airbus Operations GmbH.
Juan joined The University of Queensland in 2016 as the first of the three academic appointments in the Centre for Future Timber Structures to lead the research and teaching on the fire safety of engineered timber structures. His background is in fire safety engineering, building systems and timber construction. His research to date has primarily focused on the performance of building materials for sustainable and durable construction exposed to fire conditions. Juan's field of expertise comprises material thermal degradation and flammability, heat transfer, and fire dynamics, highlighting his vast experience in multi-scale fire testing. Juan is actively involved in multiple research projects focused on sustainable construction, such as timber, insulation materials, or composites, and studying the fire dynamics in modern buildings. At present, Juan contributes to supervision and research collaborations on fire safety for the built environment with the Fire Safety Engineering Research Group at UQ.
Juan completed his BEng-MEng in Industrial Engineering at the Universitat Politècnica de València (Spain), a five-year degree equivalent to Mechanical/Civil Engineering in the UK with a final year specialisation with a particular focus on structural engineering. He also attained an MSc in Industrial Construction and Installations at the same University. During his MSc, Juan joined PBD Fire Consultants S.L., a Spanish company specialising in fire safety design for the built environment. He worked for this company for two years as a consulting fire engineer in multiple national and international projects. Following the completion of his MSc in 2011, Juan joined the University of Edinburgh (UK) to pursue his PhD in Fire Safety Engineering sponsored by Rockwool International A/S, which was completed in 2015 with the thesis entitled “Performance-Based Methodology for the Fire Safe Design of Insulation Materials in Energy Efficient Buildings”. He continued his academic career at the University of Edinburgh as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the BRE Centre for Fire Safety Engineering, being involved in numerous research projects such as the FireComp project, and other projects focused on the fire performance of facades, timber construction, concrete and diverse construction systems.
Previous involvement in Teaching and Learning
During his appointment as academic staff at UQ, Dr Juan P. Hidalgo contributed to the teaching of Civil Engineering Bachelor and Masters programmes, including the BE-ME in Civil and Fire Safety Engineering (EA-accredited) and the MEngSc in Fire Safety Engineering. He was involved in the following courses:
- Introduction to Fire Safety Engineering (FIRE3700).
- Fire Engineering Design: Solutions for Implicit Safety (FIRE4610).
- Fire Dynamics (FIRE7620).
- Fire Dynamics Laboratory (FIRE7640).
- Structural Fire Engineering (FIRE7660).
- Fire Engineering Design: Explicit Quantification of Safety (FIRE7680).
- Research Thesis (FIRE7500).
- Design of Timber Structures (CIVL4334).
Availability
- Dr Juan Hidalgo Medina is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Masters (Coursework), Institution to be confirmed
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of Edinburgh
Research interests
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Fire Safety of Facades and External Cladding
In the last decades, several tall buildings consisting of innovative external wall systems have been involved in disastrous fire events. The use of new products and systems, including combustible materials as external walls, represents a fire hazard in the built environment. This is essentially due to the lack of understanding and characterisation of the fire performance of these products, as well as methodologies and tools to assess their intrinsic fire hazard. At present many existing buildings have combustible façade systems, for example, including Aluminium Composite Panels made of two aluminium sheets bonded with a low-density plastic core or insulation materials. I was the chief investigator leading the Cladding Materials Library project funded by the Department of Housing and Public Works (https://claddingmaterialslibrary.com/). I led the development of an extensive, publicly-available database of combustible cladding materials based on their flammability through an audit of public buildings in Queensland. This database materialises one of the urgent recommendations established by the Queensland Non-Conforming Building Products Audit Taskforce to guarantee the safety of building occupants and emergency services in buildings with combustible cladding. The database is a crucial tool currently being used by fire engineers in the risk assessment and remediation of thousands of buildings affected by combustible cladding.
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Fire Dynamics in Large, Open-Plan Compartments
The study of fire dynamics in compartments establishes the basis for the design of fire safety strategies in buildings. Even though the behaviour of compartment fires has largely been studied, the 'compartment fire' framework currently used for design is based on experimentation of cubic compartments of reduced floor area with low ventilation (Regime I fires). At present, open plan floor compartments are the norm in tall and new buildings, thus deeming the current design framework incomplete. I am working on a series of projects focused on modelling and analysing data from recent full-scale fire experimentation in open floor compartments with large ventilation (Regime II fires), which I contributed to developing when I worked at the University of Edinburgh (https://uqfire-news.org/2019/06/05/malveira-fire-test/).
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Fire Performance of Composite Materials
I collaborate with the UQ Composites Group in numerous projects aiming at the flammability characterisation and elaboration of fire design frameworks of novel composite materials.
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Fundamentals of Bushfires
The study of fire behaviour of bushlands is a research area of relevant need in Australia due to the increasing severity of bushfires. The improvement of risk models for loss prevention requires a fundamental understanding of the behaviour of vegetation under fire conditions. I am working on a couple of small projects aiming at the effect that moisture may play in the flammability of Australian vegetation and the role of convection and radiation in the ignition and flame spread in vegetation.
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Fire Safety of Engineered Mass Timber and Bamboo Structures
There is a growing demand from architects, developers and clients to create buildings from engineered timber products. Timber is both aesthetically appealing and environmentally advantageous; however, fire safety considerations are frequently cited as a major constraint on the use of timber within buildings. I contribute to research in this area and have been actively working to provide engineers with the knowledge and understanding required to build safely with timber – at a large scale. One of the highlighted projects under this theme was the project aimed at developing full-scale fire tests of cross-laminated timber compartments. The project was developed under the umbrella of the ARC Future Timber Hub, and enabled the development of unique tests worldwide (https://sites.google.com/view/arc-future-timber-hub-pr14/). Like timber, bamboo as a construction material has many appealing characteristics, ranging from its ability to sequester carbon during growth and store it for the life of the building, its relatively high strength-to-weight ratio, ease of prefabrication, and high aesthetic value. I have contributed to research in this area, working to provide knowledge on the potential of bamboo as a structural material and its fire performance.
Research impacts
Dr Hidalgo’s main research focus at The University of Queensland has primarily centred on the fire safety of tall buildings and mass timber construction. The research on tall buildings consists of two fundamental aspects: describing the complex fire dynamics in open plan compartments, common of tall buildings, and assessing the external fire spread risk in tall building design due to the use of combustible materials. These are key endeavours to enable the safety of mid and high-rise buildings, supported by his extensive previous contributions in the area of compartment fires and combustible insulation developed throughout his academic career.
With regards to mass timber construction research, since his arrival at UQ, he help lead fire safety research within the Centre for Future Timber Structures and the ARC Future Timber Hub. His expertise in fire safety of timber structures and tall buildings has become instrumental in achieving the main goal of the Hub, which is to enable tall buildings consisting of mass timber structures that are currently inhibited by the unquantifiable fire safety risks. These knowledge gaps are strategically well-aligned with Dr Hidalgo’s expertise.
Works
Search Professor Juan Hidalgo Medina’s works on UQ eSpace
2020
Other Outputs
Uncertainty analysis in the modelling of fully-developed compartment fires using FDS
Cadena Gomez, Jaime, Gupta, Vinny, Majdalani, Agustin, Hidalgo, Juan and Torero, Jose L. (2020). Uncertainty analysis in the modelling of fully-developed compartment fires using FDS. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.14264/uql.2020.976
2020
Other Outputs
The Malveira Fire Test
Gupta, Tristan, Gupta, Vinny, Cowlard, Adam, Abecassis-Empis, Cecilia, Maclean, Jamie, Bartlett, Alastair, Maluk, Cristian, Montalva, Jose, Osorio, Andres, Torero, Jose and Hidalgo, Juan (2020). The Malveira Fire Test. University of Edinburgh. (Dataset) doi: 10.7488/ds/2747
2020
Other Outputs
Edinburgh tall buildings fire tests analysis
Hidalgo, Juan, Gupta, Vinny, Cowlard, Adam, Abecassis-Empis, Cecilia, Majdalani, Agustin H, Maluk, Cristian and Torero, Jose (2020). Edinburgh tall buildings fire tests analysis. University of Edinburgh. (Dataset) doi: 10.7488/ds/2745
2019
Journal Article
Thermal behaviour of laminated bamboo structures under fire conditions
Pope, Ian, Hidalgo, Juan P., Osorio, Andres, Maluk, Cristián and Torero, José L. (2019). Thermal behaviour of laminated bamboo structures under fire conditions. Fire and Materials, 45 (3) fam.2791, 321-330. doi: 10.1002/fam.2791
2019
Journal Article
Fire performance of closed-cell charring insulation materials in plasterboard-insulation assemblies
Hidalgo, Juan P., Torero, José L. and Welch, Stephen (2019). Fire performance of closed-cell charring insulation materials in plasterboard-insulation assemblies. Fire and Materials, 43 (6), 632-643. doi: 10.1002/fam.2697
2019
Journal Article
The Malveira fire test: full-scale demonstration of fire modes in open-plan compartments
Hidalgo, Juan P., Goode, Tristan, Gupta, Vinny, Cowlard, Adam, Abecassis-Empis, Cecilia, Maclean, Jamie, Bartlett, Alastair I., Maluk, Cristián, Montalvá, José M., Osorio, Andrés F. and Torero, José L. (2019). The Malveira fire test: full-scale demonstration of fire modes in open-plan compartments. Fire Safety Journal, 108 102827, 102827. doi: 10.1016/j.firesaf.2019.102827
2019
Journal Article
Structural capacity in fire of laminated timber elements in compartments with exposed timber surfaces
Wiesner, Felix, Bisby, Luke A., Bartlett, Alastair I., Hidalgo, Juan P., Santamaria, Simón and Deeny, Susan (2019). Structural capacity in fire of laminated timber elements in compartments with exposed timber surfaces. Engineering Structures, 179, 284-295. doi: 10.1016/j.engstruct.2018.10.084
2019
Conference Publication
Thermal behaviour of laminated bamboo structures under fire conditions
Pope, I., Hidalgo, J. P., Osorio, A., Maluk, C. and Torero, J. L. (2019). Thermal behaviour of laminated bamboo structures under fire conditions. 15th International Interflam Conference, Windsor, United Kingdom, 1-3 July 2019. Interflam.
2019
Conference Publication
Fire and post fire properties of glass fiber reinforced epoxy and polycarbonate composite: A comparative study
Ghazzawi, Yousof M., Basnayake, Asanka P., Osorio, Andres F., Medina, Juan Hidalgo and Heitzmann, Michael T. (2019). Fire and post fire properties of glass fiber reinforced epoxy and polycarbonate composite: A comparative study. ICCM International Conferences on Composite Materials ICCM22 2019, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 2019. Melbourne, VIC Australia: Engineers Australia.
2019
Conference Publication
Self-extinguishment on laminated bamboo structures
Solarte, Angela, Numapo, Janal, Do, Tam, Hidalgo, Juan P. and Torero, Jose L. (2019). Self-extinguishment on laminated bamboo structures. 5th Iberian-Latin-American Congress on Fire Safety, Porto, Portugal, 15-17 July 2019.
2019
Conference Publication
Integrated fire-safe and energy-efficient design of insulated assemblies using a multi-criteria approach
Vacca, P., Hidalgo, J.P. and Soret, G. (2019). Integrated fire-safe and energy-efficient design of insulated assemblies using a multi-criteria approach. 5th Iberian-Latin-American Congress on Fire Safety, Porto, Portugal, 15-17 July 2019.
2019
Conference Publication
Complexities of the thermal boundary conditions when testing timber using the fire propagation apparatus
Cuevas, J.C., Hidalgo, J.P. , Torero, J.L. and Maluk, C. (2019). Complexities of the thermal boundary conditions when testing timber using the fire propagation apparatus. 9th International Seminar on Fire and Explosion Hazards, St Petersburg, Russia, 21-26 April 2019. St Petersburg, Russia: Saint-Petersburg Polytechnic University Press. doi: 10.18720/SPBPU/2/k19-88
2019
Conference Publication
Experimental study on the flammability and burning behaviour of live and dead Eucalyptus saligna foliage
Ramadhan, M.L. , Zarate-Orrego, S. , Carrascal, J. , Osorio, A.F. and Hidalgo, J.P. (2019). Experimental study on the flammability and burning behaviour of live and dead Eucalyptus saligna foliage. 9th International Seminar on Fire and Explosion Hazards, St Petersburg, Russia, 21-26 April 2019. Saint-Petersburg Polytechnic University Press. doi: 10.18720/SPBPU/2/k19-74
2019
Other Outputs
The Material Library of Cladding Materials
McLaggan, Martyn S., Hidalgo, Juan P., Osorio, Andres F., Heitzmann, Michael, Carrascal, Jeronimo, Lange, David, Maluk, Cristian and Torero, Jose L. (2019). The Material Library of Cladding Materials. UQ eSpace. (Collection) doi: 10.14264/uql.2019.441
2019
Conference Publication
Fire-safe bamboo structures – a methodology to facilitate performance-based design
Gutierrez, M., Solarte, A., Pope, I., Maluk, C., Hidalgo, J. and Torero, J.L. (2019). Fire-safe bamboo structures – a methodology to facilitate performance-based design. ICBS 2018, Beijing, China, 25-27 June 2018. CRC Press: Taylor & Francis. doi: 10.1201/9780429434990-11
2019
Conference Publication
Validation and uncertainty estimation of carbon fiber epoxy composite model
Scott, S.N. , Kurzawski, A.J. , Brunini, V.E. , Hewson, J.C. , Hidalgo, J.P. , Hadden, R.M. and Welch, S. (2019). Validation and uncertainty estimation of carbon fiber epoxy composite model. 11th US National Combustion Meeting, Pasadena, CA, United States, 24-27 March 2019.
2019
Conference Publication
Flame spread in laminated bamboo structures
Solarte, Angela, Numapo, Janal, Hidalgo, Juan P. and Torero, Jose L. (2019). Flame spread in laminated bamboo structures. 9th International Seminar on Fire and Explosion Hazards (ISFEH9 2019), Saint Petersburg, Russia, 21-26 April 2019. Saint Petersburg, Russia: Saint-Petersburg Polytechnic University Press. doi: 10.18720/spbpu/2/k19-125
2019
Conference Publication
Analysis of Convective Heat Losses in a Full-scale Compartment Fire Experiment
Gupta, Vinny, Maluk, Cristian, Torero, Jose L. and Hidalgo, Juan P. (2019). Analysis of Convective Heat Losses in a Full-scale Compartment Fire Experiment. 9th International Seminar on Fire and Explosion Hazards, Saint-Petersburg, 21-26 April 2019. Saint-Petersburg, Russia: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. doi: 10.18720/SPBPU/2/k19-53
2019
Conference Publication
Modelling the decomposition behavior of carbon fiber expoxy composite
Scott, S.N. , Kurzawski, A.J. , Brunini, V.E. , Hewson, J.C. , Hidalgo, J.P. , Hadden, R.M. and Welch, S. (2019). Modelling the decomposition behavior of carbon fiber expoxy composite. 11th Mediterranean Combustion Symposium, Tenerife, Spain, 16-20 June 2019.
2019
Journal Article
Overcoming risk assessment limitations for potential fires in a multi-occupancy building
Cadena, Jaime E., Hidalgo, Juan, Maluk, Cristian, Lange, David, Torero, Jose L. and Osorio, Andrés F. (2019). Overcoming risk assessment limitations for potential fires in a multi-occupancy building. Chemical Engineering Transactions, 77, 463-468. doi: 10.3303/CET1977078
Funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Juan Hidalgo Medina is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Studying the impact of technological change on the resilience of buildings
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Matthew Mason, Associate Professor David Lange
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Doctor Philosophy
Framework to model the rate of external fire spread rates in facades consisting of combustible cladding
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor David Lange, Dr Felix Wiesner
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Doctor Philosophy
Assessment of self-sustained smouldering in preservative-treated timber
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Felix Wiesner, Dr Luis Yerman
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Doctor Philosophy
Studying the impact of technological change on the resilience of buildings
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Matthew Mason, Associate Professor David Lange
-
Doctor Philosophy
Studying the impact of technological change on the resilience of buildings
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Matthew Mason, Associate Professor David Lange
-
Doctor Philosophy
Assessment of smouldering in engineered and CCA treated timber products
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Felix Wiesner, Dr Luis Yerman
Completed supervision
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
The role of fuel moisture content on the flammability of Eucalyptus saligna leaf litter
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Mr Jeronimo Carrascal Tirado
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2021
Doctor Philosophy
Open-plan compartment fire dynamics
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Cristian Maluk, Associate Professor David Lange
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
Fire Dynamics in Multi-Scale Timber Compartments
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Cristian Maluk
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
Fire Performance Assessment for the Design of Safe Laminated Bamboo Structures
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Cristian Maluk
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2024
Doctor Philosophy
Parametric Analysis of the Fire Performance of Laminated Veneer Lumber
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Cristian Maluk, Associate Professor David Lange
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2024
Doctor Philosophy
Characterisation of the fire dynamics in Ventilated Facades
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor David Lange
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
Solid-phase temperature analysis and correction for multi-scale fire experimentation
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Cristian Maluk, Dr Felix Wiesner, Associate Professor Jiwon Kim
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
Moisture Safety for Energy-efficient CLT Envelopes: Pathways to Net-zero Operational Energy for Engineered Wood Multi-storey Buildings in Australian Tropical and Subtropical Climates
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Lisa Ottenhaus, Associate Professor Paola Leardini
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
Contribution of Convection and Radiation at the Preheating Stage during Fire Spread in Fuel Beds
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Mr Jeronimo Carrascal Tirado, Associate Professor David Lange
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
Characterising the material properties that influence fire growth of fire retardant natural fibre composites
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Luigi Vandi, Dr Byron Villacorta, Dr Michael Heitzmann
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Critical Conditions for the Self-extinction of Timber
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Cristian Maluk
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2021
Doctor Philosophy
Risk Assessment based on Maximum Allowable Damage
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Cristian Maluk, Associate Professor David Lange
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
Fundamentals of thin intumescent coatings for the design of fire-safe structures
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Cristian Maluk
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
Fire and structural performance of Structural Insulated Panels
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Cristian Maluk
Media
Enquiries
Contact Dr Juan Hidalgo Medina directly for media enquiries about:
- Fire Dynamics in Buildings
- Fire Performance of Sustainable Construction
- Fire Safety Engineering
- Fire Testing
- Flammability of Insulation Materials
- Timber Engineering
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