This paper introduces two new modern methods of global sensitivity analysis for computer models:
Fourier Amplitude and Sobol,as well as a modern factor screening method:the Morris method.The
methods are applied to the sensitivity analysis of the apartment fire module of the CESARE-Risk
building fire computer model with eight input factors and door and window open. Two output variables
are considered: the maximum temperature reached and the time of onset of untenable conditions.
Response surfaces previously derived for the model[Jianguo Qu,Response surface modelling of Monte
Carlo fire data,Ph.D.Thesis,Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia, 2003, http://eprints.vu.edu.au/
archive/00000260/01/Qu,_Jianguo.pdf]are used to speed up the computations. For the maximum
temperature all three methods agree that the most sensitive factors are the window height and width
factors, followed by the fuel area factor. The largest interaction was between the length of room and the
fuel area factor. For the time of untenable conditions the Fourier Amplitude and Sobol methods agreed
that one factor,the flame spread rate, had overwhelming significance. The only significant Sobol
interaction was between the width of room and the flame spread rate.