Structural Fire Engineering

Prepared by the Fire Protection Committee of the Structural Engineering Institute of ASCE Structural Fire Engineering provides best practices for the field of performance-based structural fire engineering design. When structural systems are heated by fire, they experience thermal effects that are not contemplated by conventional structural engineering design. Traditionally, structural fire protection is prescribed for structures after they have been optimized for ambient design loads, such as gravity, wind, and seismic, among others. This century-old prescriptive framework endeavors to reduce the heating of individual structural components with the intent of mitigating the risk of structural failure under fire exposure. Accordingly, the vulnerability of buildings to structural failure from uncontrolled fire varies across jurisdictions-which have differing structural design requirements for ambient loads-and as a function of building system and component configuration. As an alternative approach, Standard ASCE 7-16 permits the application of performance-based structural fire design (also termed structural fire engineering design) to evaluate the performance of structural systems explicitly under fire exposure in a similar manner as other design loads are treated in structural engineering practice. Structural fire engineering design is the calculated design of a structure to withstand the thermal load effects of fire, which have the potential to alter the integrity of a structure, based on specific performance criteria. This manual, MOP 138, addresses the current practice, thermal and structural analysis methods, and available information to support structural fire engineering design. It covers - Background information on the protection of structures from fire and the effects of fire on different types of construction, - Key distinctions between standard fire resistance design and structural fire engineering design, - Guidance for evaluating thermal boundary conditions on a structure because of fire exposure and on conducting heat transfer calculations based on the material thermal properties, - Performance objectives for structures under fire exposure, and - Analysis techniques that can be used to quantify structural response to fire effects. This Manual of Practice is a valuable resource for structural engineers, architects, building officials, and academics concerned with performance-based design for structural fire safety.

Actionable strategies for the design and construction of fire-resistant structures This hands-on guide clearly explains the complex building codes and standards that relate to fire design and presents hands-on techniques engineers can apply to prevent or mitigate the effects of fire in structures. Dedicated chapters discuss specific procedures for steel, concrete, and timber buildings. You will get step-by-step guidance on how to evaluate fire resistance using both testing and calculation methods. Structural Fire Engineering begins with an introduction to the behavioral aspects of fire and explains how structural materials react when exposed to elevated temperatures. From there, the book discusses the fire design aspects of key codes and standards, such as the International Building Code, the International Fire Code, and the NFPA Fire Code. Advanced topics are covered in complete detail, including residual capacity evaluation of fire damaged structures and fire design for bridges and tunnels. Explains the fire design requirements of the IBC, IFC, the NFPA Fire Code, and National Building Code of Canada Presents design strategies for steel, concrete, and timber structures as well as for bridges and tunnels Contains downloadable spreadsheets and problems along with solutions for instructors

Structural Fire Engineering provides comprehensive and practical design guidance on the application of structural fire engineering to specialist structural engineers.

Structural Fire Engineering: From Principles to Design is a comprehensive handbook to fire safety in structural design. Designers, civil engineers and structural engineers will find a go-to reference for the principles of structural fire safety that underlie the Eurocodes. This book covers the diverse types of structure and materials currently in use, including concrete, steel, masonry, composite steel and concrete, timber, and aluminum and its alloys. In addition, it offers practicing designers and engineers a comprehensive, landmark guide to fire safety in the design of structures, relating physical principles to Eurocode design. Fire is an ancient danger, but due to novel methods of calculation, structural fire design is rapidly evolving. In structural fire design, designers must take into account physical phenomena at high temperatures. That is, they must understand the principles behind the fire safety methods that are in sue. The scope of design procedures given in the Eurocodes, and the effects of design procedures on the huge variety of materials and structures in use, therefore poses a challenge. Supports structural fire designers by describing the physical behavior of various materials and structures at high temperatures Presents the physical principles behind Eurocode structural fire engineering in relation to various materials Describes the behaviors and principles at work for a wide variety of materials at high temperatures Explains the principles and methods of fire safety design Gives solutions to problems in fire safety for the design of structures

Major events—notably the Broadgate fire in London, New York’s World Trade Center collapse, and the Windsor Tower fire in Madrid—as well as the enlightening studies at the Cardington fire research project have given international prominence to performance-based structural fire engineering. As a result, structural fire engineering has increasingly attracted the interest not only of fire and structural engineers but also of researchers and students. And studies in recent years have generated a vast number of findings. Performance-Based Fire Engineering of Structures summarizes the latest knowledge on performance-based approaches to structural fire engineering, enabling readers to critically assess research in the field. Whereas most recent books have been mainly concerned with dissemination of principles encapsulated in established codes of practice such as the Eurocodes, this work addresses in depth: Global structural behaviour and modelling Progressive collapse of structures in fire and the importance of connection robustness The integrity of compartmentation in fire Structural fire engineering under realistic fire conditions and its implications for material properties The limitations of research results and design methods The unexploited potential for advanced fire engineering design This authoritative book draws on the work of internationally active researchers who were core members of the European Network project’s COST C26 working group on fire resistance. It helps readers develop a thorough understanding of how to use advanced fire engineering design to improve structural safety and reduce construction costs.

This book holds the proceedings of the Conference on Applications of Structural Fire Engineering (ASFE 2017), held on September 7-8, 2017, in Manchester, UK. The ASFE’17 conference will be the next in a series (2009, 2011, 2013, 2015) of successful conferences that aim to bring together experts and specialists in design against fire from all over the world to share ideas and to acquire knowledge in the field of structural fire engineering. Practice in structural engineering increasingly accepts the benefits of performancebased approaches to the design of structures for fire resistance. This conference will focus on the application of design methods, both manual and computational, for structures to resist fire. Particularly relevant themes will be fire modelling, simulation of the heat transfer between fire and structures, and modelling of structural behaviour at elevated temperatures using numerical methods or software implementations of design codes.

Structural Design for Fire Safety, 2nd edition Andrew H. Buchanan, University of Canterbury, New Zealand Anthony K. Abu, University of Canterbury, New Zealand A practical and informative guide to structural fire engineering This book presents a comprehensive overview of structural fire engineering. An update on the first edition, the book describes new developments in the past ten years, including advanced calculation methods and computer programs. Further additions include: calculation methods for membrane action in floor slabs exposed to fires; a chapter on composite steel-concrete construction; and case studies of structural collapses. The book begins with an introduction to fire safety in buildings, from fire growth and development to the devastating effects of severe fires on large building structures. Methods of calculating fire severity and fire resistance are then described in detail, together with both simple and advanced methods for assessing and designing for structural fire safety in buildings constructed from structural steel, reinforced concrete, or structural timber. Structural Design for Fire Safety, 2nd edition bridges the information gap between fire safety engineers, structural engineers and building officials, and it will be useful for many others including architects, code writers, building designers, and firefighters. Key features: • Updated references to current research, as well as new end-of-chapter questions and worked examples. •Authors experienced in teaching, researching, and applying structural fire engineering in real buildings. • A focus on basic principles rather than specific building code requirements, for an international audience. An essential guide for structural engineers who wish to improve their understanding of buildings exposed to severe fires and an ideal textbook for introductory or advanced courses in structural fire engineering.

Designing structures to withstand the effects of fire is challenging, and requires a series of complex design decisions. This third edition of Fire Safety Engineering Design of Structures provides practising fire safety engineers with the tools to design structures to withstand fires. This text details standard industry design decisions, and offers expert design advice, with relevant historical data. It includes extensive data on materials’ behaviour and modeling -- concrete, steel, composite steel-concrete, timber, masonry, and aluminium. While weighted to the fire sections of the Eurocodes, this book also includes historical data to allow older structures to be assessed. It extensively covers fire damage investigation, and includes as far back as possible, the background to code methods to enable the engineer to better understand why certain procedures are adopted. What’s new in the Third Edition? An overview in the first chapter explains the types of design decisions required for optimum fire performance of a structure, and demonstrates the effect of temperature rise on structural performance of structural elements. It extends the sections on less common engineering materials. The section on computer modelling now includes material on coupled heat and mass transfer, enabling a better understanding of the phenomenon of spalling in concrete. It includes a series of worked examples, and provides an extensive reference section. Readers require a working knowledge of structural mechanics and methods of structural design at ambient conditions, and are helped by some understanding of thermodynamics of heat transfer. This book serves as a resource for engineers working in the field of fire safety, consultants who regularly carry out full fire safety design for structure, and researchers seeking background information. Dr John Purkiss is a chartered civil and structural engineer/consultant and former lecturer in structural engineering at Aston University, UK. Dr Long-Yuan Li is Professor of Structural Engineering at Plymouth University, UK, and a Fellow of the Institution of Structural Engineers.

Provides a basis for developing new standards to calculate the fire resistance of structural members, mostly in buildings. Considers building codes and techniques of fire protection, the behavior of fire in enclosed spaces and its effect on various building materials, and methods for calculating fir

An essential resource on the design and performance of common structural materials when they are exposed to fire.

ASCE/SEI/SFPE Standard 29-05 provides the most current and proven methods for calculating the fire resistance of selected structural members and barrier assemblies using structural steel, plain concrete, reinforced concrete, timber and wood, concrete masonry, and clay masonry. These methods present architects, engineers, building officials, and others with calculations for the equivalent fire resistance achieved in the ASTM E119 standard fire test. Topics discussed in this work include standard calculation methods for structural fire protection as well as standard processes for determining the fire resistance of plain and reinforced concrete construction, timber and wood structural elements, masonry, and structural steel construction. This Standard, a thorough revision of SEI/ASCE/ANSI Standard 29-99, is a joint effort between the Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) and the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE).

Steel and Composite Structures: Behaviour and Design for Fire Safety presents a systematic and thorough description of the behaviour of steel and composite structures in fire, and shows how design methods are developed to quantify our understanding. Quantitative descriptions of fire behaviour, heat transfer in construction elements and structural analysis using numerical methods are all addressed and existing codes and standards for steel and composite fire safety design are critically examined. Using a comprehensive and systematic description of structural fire safety engineering principles, the author explains and illustrates the important difference between the behaviour of isolated structural elements and whole structures under fire conditions. This book is a vital source of information to structural and fire engineers. It will also be of considerable interest and value to students and researchers in this field.

MOP 114 presents a new method developed to improve the design of structural steel for fire conditions.

Tested techniques for designing fire-resistant structures Structural Fire Loads bridges the gap between prescriptive and performance-based methods for the design of fire-resistant buildings. The book streamlines complex computer analyses so that an approximate analytical expression can be easily used in structural fire load analysis and design. Simplified versions of energy, mass, and momentum equations are provided in dimensionless form with their solutions in tabular form. Step-by-step examples using standard structural systems, such as beams, trusses, frames, and arches, are also presented in this practical guide. Using the proven methods in this book, all types of fires can be addressed in the design process. Coverage includes: Overview of current practice Structural fire load and computer models Differential equations and assumptions Simplifications of differential equations Fire load and severity of fires Structural analysis and design