Directions in structural‐fire safety design for steel buildings^a

Abstract

Fire safety considerations have an impact on the design of almost all structures, ranging from small residential structures to high-rise buildings. One important aspect of building fire safety is structural-fire safety, with the goal of preventing or delaying collapse of structures during severe fires. Structural-fire safety is of particular importance for steel structures, because of the high thermal conductivity of steel. Structural-fire safety design is most often accomplished using nonengineered prescriptive approaches. However, there is increasing interest in engineered structural-fire safety design for potential advantages in safety, economy and design flexibility. This paper provides an overview of engineered structuralfire safety design for steel buildings, and discusses some of the challenges in this field.

Fire Safety and Prevention Issues in Design of Tall Buildings

“…Structural fire safety design mainly requires the study of the thermal environment caused by a fire, the heat transfer on components' surfaces, and the structural response to high temperatures. For steel structures, which are known to be vulnerable to fire, the peak can be around 600C degrees for fire-proof insulated components, and 1000C degrees for non-insulated components, which then collapse [5][6][7]. The measures taken for structural safety can also help to lock fire in one space and give the necessary time to evacuees.…”