New Challenges in Civil Structure for Fire Response

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Civil Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 May 2022) | Viewed by 48177

Special Issue Editors

Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Coimbra, 3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal
Interests: structural fire engineering; fire testing methods; structural analysis and design; fire design; buckling phenomenon; steel and composite structures; computational intelligence
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Coimbra, 3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal
Interests: structural fire engineering; fire testing methods; structural analysis and design; fire design; steel and composite structures; blast; impact; wildland-urban interface
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Via Mesiano 77, 38123 Trento, Italy
Interests: structural fire engineering; localized fires; steel and composite structures; fire following earthquake; earthquake engineering; structural analysis and design
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Investigation, development and innovation play an important role in fire safety engineering and our society. The rapid development and change of urban areas and products, as well as rapid worldwide technological progress, bring new challenges to the fire security of buildings, especially to energy efficient buildings and civil structures located in wildland–urban interface areas. Furthermore, fire standards do not yet provide a complete guidance on various aspects, including measures and constraints for advanced design, i.e., for advanced fire modelling and coupled thermo-mechanical analysis, for instance, so that the use of high performance computation systems can be performed effectively, on the safety side, and still allow performance-based design and advanced evolutionary optimizations. Therefore, we encourage you to send manuscripts containing scientific findings within the broad field of fire safety engineering (list of keywords below) that can help to overcome all these challenges and make the world more inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. Both theoretical and practice-oriented papers, including experimental and numerical studies, case studies and reviews, are encouraged.

Prof. Dr. Luis Laim
Prof. Dr. Aldina Santiago
Dr. Nicola Tondini
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • fire resistance
  • fire protection materials
  • fire testing methods
  • performance-based design
  • fire dynamics
  • heat transfer
  • energy efficiency and safety
  • computational intelligence
  • wildland–urban interface
  • climate change

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Published Papers (17 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

4 pages, 211 KiB  
Editorial
Special Issue on New Challenges in the Civil Structures for Fire Responses
by Luís Laím, Aldina Santiago and Nicola Tondini
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(17), 8740; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app12178740 - 31 Aug 2022
Viewed by 955
Abstract
Civil structures may be subjected to serious hazards during their lifespans, including natural hazards (i [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Challenges in Civil Structure for Fire Response)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

14 pages, 9933 KiB  
Article
Experimental Investigation of the Concrete Cone Failure of Bonded Anchors at Room and High Temperature
by Miora Nirina Robson, Omar Al-Mansouri, Nicolas Pinoteau, Marco Abate, Kenton McBride, Roberto Piccinin, Sébastien Rémond and Dashnor Hoxha
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(9), 4760; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app12094760 - 09 May 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1445
Abstract
Under fire conditions, bonded anchors often exhibit pull-out failure due to the thermal sensitivity of polymer-based adhesives. However, progress in manufacturing has allowed the development of more thermoresistant mortars, enhancing the probability of observing concrete-related failure modes at high temperature. For concrete cone [...] Read more.
Under fire conditions, bonded anchors often exhibit pull-out failure due to the thermal sensitivity of polymer-based adhesives. However, progress in manufacturing has allowed the development of more thermoresistant mortars, enhancing the probability of observing concrete-related failure modes at high temperature. For concrete cone failure, Annex D (Informative) to the European Standard EN 1992-4 provides a method to determine the characteristic fire resistance. This method is based on ISO 834-1 fire ratings and on limited experimental data without inclusion of bonded anchors. To remedy these shortcomings, the present contribution aims to provide the first experimental analyses on the concrete cone failure of bonded anchors loaded in tension and exposed to ISO 834-1 fire conditions, as well as heating with a relatively slower rate. The recorded ultimate loads show that the loss of capacity depends on the embedment depth, failure mode and heating scenario. Regarding exposure to ISO 834-1 fire, the 125 mm anchors lost 50% to 60% of their capacity at ambient temperature after 30 min to 75 min of fire exposure. The results highlight that the existing method gives a conservative prediction of the concrete cone capacity at high temperature. However, its accuracy can be improved. Moreover, the obtained crack patterns by the concrete cone breakout failure mode show that the rise in temperature did not significantly affect the geometry of the failure with slow-rate heating. In contrast, the ISO 834-1 fire conditions increased the radius of the failure cone at the exposed surface to up to 5.5 times the embedment depth. However, in any case, the initial slope of the failure surface was not significantly different from its value at ambient temperature. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Challenges in Civil Structure for Fire Response)
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19 pages, 4196 KiB  
Article
Experimental Investigation of Concrete Sandwich Walls with Glass-Fiber-Composite Connectors Exposed to Fire and Mechanical Loading
by Marcin Haffke, Matthias Pahn, Catherina Thiele and Szymon Grzesiak
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(8), 3872; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app12083872 - 12 Apr 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1782
Abstract
Precast concrete sandwich panels (PCSPs) are known for their good thermal, acoustic and structural properties. Severe environmental demands can be met by PCSPs due to their use of highly thermally insulating materials and non-metallic connectors. One of the main issues limiting the wider [...] Read more.
Precast concrete sandwich panels (PCSPs) are known for their good thermal, acoustic and structural properties. Severe environmental demands can be met by PCSPs due to their use of highly thermally insulating materials and non-metallic connectors. One of the main issues limiting the wider use of sandwich walls in construction is their unknown fire resistance. Furthermore, the actual behaviour of connectors and insulation in fire in terms of their mechanical performance and their impact on fire spread and the fire resistance of walls is not fully understood. This paper presents an experimental investigation on the structural and thermal behaviour of PCSPs with mineral-wool insulation and glass-fiber-reinforced polymeric bar connectors coupling two concrete wythes. Three full-size walls were tested following the REI certification test procedure for fire walls under fire and vertical eccentric and post-fire mechanical impact load. The three test configurations were adopted for the assessment of the connectors’ fire behaviour and its impact on the general fire resistance of the walls. All the specimens met the REI 120-M criteria. The connectors did not contribute to the fire’s spread and the integrity of the walls was maintained throughout the testing time. This was also confirmed in the most unfavourable test configuration, in which some of the connectors in the inner area of the wall were significantly damaged, and yet the structural connection of the concrete wythes was maintained. The walls experienced heavy heat-induced thermal bowing. The significant contribution of connectors to the stiffness of the wall during fire was observed and discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Challenges in Civil Structure for Fire Response)
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20 pages, 15871 KiB  
Article
Development of Passive Fire Protection Mortars
by Hugo Caetano, Luís Laím, Aldina Santiago, Luísa Durães and Ashkan Shahbazian
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(4), 2093; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app12042093 - 17 Feb 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1904
Abstract
During a fire event, the stability of steel structures may be compromised, and structural collapse may occur due to the loss of their mechanical resistance as the temperature increases. One of the solutions to reduce this problem is the protection with a coating [...] Read more.
During a fire event, the stability of steel structures may be compromised, and structural collapse may occur due to the loss of their mechanical resistance as the temperature increases. One of the solutions to reduce this problem is the protection with a coating using enhanced fire-resistant mortars. This paper reports a detailed experimental work aiming to develop gypsum and cement-based mortars for passive fire protection and evaluate their composition’s effect in the final thermal performance. Two types of specimens were tested: (i) small specimens composed of a mortar coating (10 mm thick) and one steel plate and (ii) square section short tubular steel columns with 20 mm of coating. The evaluation of the thermal protection was carried out by (a) measuring the thermal gradient between the exposed surface of the protected steel plate under high temperatures and the mortar-steel interface and (b) assessing the fire resistance of the short steel columns. It was concluded that the compositions with gypsum binder present better thermal insulation than the cementitious compositions. Additionally, the introduction of nano- and microparticles of silica still slightly improved the thermal insulation of the tested compositions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Challenges in Civil Structure for Fire Response)
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16 pages, 37174 KiB  
Article
Analytical Method for the Bending Resistance of Slim Floor Beams with Asymmetric Double-T Steel Section under ISO Fire
by Diana Duma, Raul Zaharia, Dan Pintea, Ioan Both and Francois Hanus
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(2), 574; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app12020574 - 07 Jan 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2102
Abstract
The slim floor beams, characterized by the steel profile embedded in the concrete slab, may be found in different configurations, based on the shape of the steel profile cross-section, which can vary from a rectangular to double-T section. While the most common shape [...] Read more.
The slim floor beams, characterized by the steel profile embedded in the concrete slab, may be found in different configurations, based on the shape of the steel profile cross-section, which can vary from a rectangular to double-T section. While the most common shape used nowadays is the double-T cross-section, the Eurocodes do not provide a simplified method for the fire resistance assessment. The literature offers a simplified method for computation of bending resistance under elevated temperature, based on existing research on thermal models, and was validated for a particular type of slim floor beams (SFB). The current study extends the scope of application of this method, for different types of slim floor beam, which include an asymmetric double-T steel cross-section. The objective was reached through a numerical procedure, by analyzing 162 configurations subjected to four different fire requirements (R30, R60, R90, R120), resulting in a total of 648 analyses, performed with a validated numerical model in SAFIR software. The results in terms of bending resistance showed that the simplified method represents a strong tool for the fire design of slim floor beams. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Challenges in Civil Structure for Fire Response)
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18 pages, 4367 KiB  
Article
Effects of Initial Surface Evaporation on the Performance of Fly Ash-Based Geopolymer Paste at Elevated Temperatures
by Thathsarani Kannangara, Maurice Guerrieri, Sam Fragomeni and Paul Joseph
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(1), 364; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app12010364 - 31 Dec 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1282
Abstract
Geopolymer concrete is a valuable and alternative type of concrete that is free of traditional cement. Generally, geopolymer concretes require a source material, which is rich in silicon and aluminum. Furthermore, fly ash-based geopolymer concretes have been proven to have superior fire resistance, [...] Read more.
Geopolymer concrete is a valuable and alternative type of concrete that is free of traditional cement. Generally, geopolymer concretes require a source material, which is rich in silicon and aluminum. Furthermore, fly ash-based geopolymer concretes have been proven to have superior fire resistance, primarily due to their ceramic properties, and are inherently environmentally-friendly given their zero-cement content. This paper presents the effects on initial evaporation on the performance of fly ash-based geopolymer pastes after exposure to elevated temperatures of 400 °C and 800 °C. The fly ash (FA) samples used in the present study included: Gladstone and Gladstone/Callide. The results for sealed samples placed in the oven during curing were much more consistent than the samples that were not kept covered. In addition, Gladstone fly ash-based geopolymer samples that were sealed recorded an initial maximum compressive strength reading of ca. 75 MPa, while sealed Gladstone/Callide fly ash-based geopolymer samples, of the same mix design, only recorded an initial maximum compressive strength reading of ca. 50 MPa (both subjected to oven curing at 60 °C for 24 h). However, Gladstone/Callide fly ash-based geopolymer samples exhibited a significant strength gain, ca. 90 MPa, even after being subjected to 400 °C. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Challenges in Civil Structure for Fire Response)
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17 pages, 1568 KiB  
Article
A Study of the Residual Strength of Reactive Powder-Based Geopolymer Concrete under Elevated Temperatures
by Thathsarani Kannangara, Maurice Guerrieri, Sam Fragomeni and Paul Joseph
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(24), 11834; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app112411834 - 13 Dec 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1981
Abstract
This paper reports on studies relating to the unstressed residual compressive strengths of geopolymer pastes that are heated up to 800 °C, behavior of reactive powder concrete before and after exposure to elevated temperatures and thermal behavior of novel reactive powder geopolymer-based concretes. [...] Read more.
This paper reports on studies relating to the unstressed residual compressive strengths of geopolymer pastes that are heated up to 800 °C, behavior of reactive powder concrete before and after exposure to elevated temperatures and thermal behavior of novel reactive powder geopolymer-based concretes. For this purpose, 10 geopolymer pastes and three reactive powder concrete mixtures were tested for residual strengths. Gladstone fly ash was used as the primary binder for both geopolymer pastes and reactive powder geopolymer concretes. In addition, four novel reactive powder geopolymer concrete mixes were prepared with zero cement utilization. While reactive powder concretes achieved the highest seven-day compressive strengths of approximately 140 MPa, very poor thermal behavior was observed, with explosive spalling occurring at a temperature of ca. 360 °C. The reactive powder geopolymer concretes, on the other hand, displayed relatively high thermal properties with no thermal cracking at 400 °C, or visible signs of spalling and very mild cracking in one case at 800 °C. In terms of the strength of reactive powder geopolymer concrete, a maximum compressive strength of approximately 76 MPa and residual strengths of approximately 61 MPa and 51 MPa at 400 °C and 800 °C, respectively, were observed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Challenges in Civil Structure for Fire Response)
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27 pages, 14572 KiB  
Article
Mechanical Properties of ASTM A572 Grades 50 and 60 Steels at High Temperatures
by Su-Hyeon Lee and Byong-Jeong Choi
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(24), 11833; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app112411833 - 13 Dec 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 7698
Abstract
Studies involving the mechanical properties of high-strength steel (HSS) at elevated temperatures have received considerable attention in recent years. However, current research on HSS at high temperatures is lacking. As a result, the design of fire-protective steel structures with high standards is not [...] Read more.
Studies involving the mechanical properties of high-strength steel (HSS) at elevated temperatures have received considerable attention in recent years. However, current research on HSS at high temperatures is lacking. As a result, the design of fire-protective steel structures with high standards is not sufficiently conservative or safe. This study investigates the effect that elevated temperatures have on the mechanical properties of ASTM A572 Gr. 50 and 60 steels. Reduction factors for the yield strength, tensile strength, and elastic modulus were derived and compared with the standard (AISC, EN1993-1-2) and previous studies (NIST). This study also provides extensive data on the reduction factors for the yield strength, tensile strength, and elastic modulus of mild steel (MS), HSS, and very-high-strength steel (VHSS). The reduction factor for the yield strength was analyzed by expanding the strain level up to 20%. Equations for the yield strength, tensile strength, and elastic modulus were proposed. In future studies, various strains should be analyzed according to the grade of the steel, with the derivation of a reduction factor that considers the plastic strain of the steel. Hence, the findings reported in this study generated a database that can be applied to fire safety design or performance-based fire-resistant design. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Challenges in Civil Structure for Fire Response)
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24 pages, 15445 KiB  
Article
Experimental and Numerical Investigations on Fire-Resistance Performance of Precast Concrete Hollow-Core Slabs
by Inwook Heo, Khaliunaa Darkhanbat, Sun-Jin Han, Seung-Ho Choi, Hoseong Jeong and Kang Su Kim
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(23), 11500; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app112311500 - 04 Dec 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4757
Abstract
In this study, full-scale fire tests and finite element (FE) analyses are conducted to investigate the fire resistance performance of hollow-core slabs (HCSs) manufactured using the extrusion method. The deflection of the HCS specimens and the temperature distribution in the section according to [...] Read more.
In this study, full-scale fire tests and finite element (FE) analyses are conducted to investigate the fire resistance performance of hollow-core slabs (HCSs) manufactured using the extrusion method. The deflection of the HCS specimens and the temperature distribution in the section according to the fire exposure time are measured and analyzed comprehensively, and the test results are compared with the FE analysis results. In addition, parametric analyses are conducted on 21 cases with the HCS depth, span length, hollow ratio in a section, cover thickness of concrete, and load ratio (i.e., the ratio of the external load to the ultimate load) as variables, based on which the fire resistance performance of the HCS according to each variable is investigated. The analysis results show that the load ratio is a key factor governing the fire resistance behavior of HCSs, whereas the effects of the cover thickness of concrete and the hollow ratio in a section are relatively slight within the range of variables examined in this study. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Challenges in Civil Structure for Fire Response)
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17 pages, 5230 KiB  
Article
Finite Element Modelling for Structural Performance of Slim Floors in Fire and Influence of Protection Materials
by Donatella de Silva, Naveed Alam, Ali Nadjai, Emidio Nigro and Faris Ali
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(23), 11291; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app112311291 - 29 Nov 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 1438
Abstract
Slim floor systems are very common nowadays and various types are currently being used for the construction of high-rise buildings and car parks. Concrete in slim floor beams encases the steel beam section which helps to improve their fire resistance. Despite their higher [...] Read more.
Slim floor systems are very common nowadays and various types are currently being used for the construction of high-rise buildings and car parks. Concrete in slim floor beams encases the steel beam section which helps to improve their fire resistance. Despite their higher fire resistance, several fire protection materials like intumescent coatings are often used to achieve a higher fire resistance where desired. The thermal properties and behaviour of various intumescent coating materials were previously studied through experimental investigations. This paper presents finite element analyses to simulate the response of unprotected and protected slim floor beams in fire using different simulation tools. For this purpose, fire tests conducted on unprotected slim floor beams and intumescent coating materials are modelled using research and commercial software. Results from the analyses are compared and verified with the available test data. These validated models are later combined to study the behaviour of protected slim floor beams in fire. Results from the study show that the research and the commercial software replicate the behaviour of slim floor beams and protection materials with good accuracy. Due to the presence of the intumescent coating, the protected slim floor beams displayed a better fire resistance as the temperature of the steel part remained below 400 °C even after 60-min of standard heating. The protected slim floor beams continued to support the external loads even after 120 min of heating. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Challenges in Civil Structure for Fire Response)
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31 pages, 9089 KiB  
Article
GoZone: A Numerical Model for Travelling Fires Based on Cellular Automata Concept
by Antonio Gamba and Jean-Marc Franssen
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(22), 10679; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app112210679 - 12 Nov 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1592
Abstract
Fires in large compartments tend to burn locally and to move across the floor over a period of time; this particular behaviour has been discovered to challenge the assumption of uniform gas temperature in the fire compartment. Recent studies on fires in large [...] Read more.
Fires in large compartments tend to burn locally and to move across the floor over a period of time; this particular behaviour has been discovered to challenge the assumption of uniform gas temperature in the fire compartment. Recent studies on fires in large compartments have led to the now widely known concept of “travelling fires”. Several models have been proposed to describe the evolution in time of travelling fires. Although these models represented an innovative step in the field of travelling fires, the major drawbacks of these models can be found in the simplification of fire dynamics (constant spread rate, 1D imposed fire path) and limited field of application (rectangular based geometries). The purpose of this paper is to present a numerical model of travelling fire. The model was based on an improved zone model combined with a cellular automata model. The software GoZone, in which the model was implemented, is intended to be a practical solution to analyse fires in large compartments of potentially any shape. GoZone is aimed to describe the complex dynamics of the fire from ignition to a phase of growing localised fire that may eventually travel in the compartment, possibly followed by a flashover. The main sub models comprising GoZone are presented. A comparison is given with the results of under ventilated fire test 2 of the BST/FSR 1993 test series and with respect to the Veselì travelling fire test is shown. GoZone shows a promising capacity to represent fires in a large compartment in both air and fuel controlled fire conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Challenges in Civil Structure for Fire Response)
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11 pages, 2537 KiB  
Article
The Chloride Ion Penetration Mechanism in Basalt Fiber Reinforced Concrete under Compression after Elevated Temperatures
by Limin Lu, Shaohua Wu, Yuwen Qin, Guanglin Yuan, Qingli Zhao and Jeung-Hwan Doh
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(21), 10137; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app112110137 - 29 Oct 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1304
Abstract
Chloride ion penetration frequently leads to steel corrosion and reduces the durability of reinforced concrete. Although previous studies have investigated the chloride ion permeability of some fiber concrete, the chloride ion permeability of the basalt fiber reinforced concrete (BFRC) has not been widely [...] Read more.
Chloride ion penetration frequently leads to steel corrosion and reduces the durability of reinforced concrete. Although previous studies have investigated the chloride ion permeability of some fiber concrete, the chloride ion permeability of the basalt fiber reinforced concrete (BFRC) has not been widely investigated. Considering that BFRC may be subjected to various exposure environments, this paper focused on exploring the chloride ion permeability of BFRC under the coupling effect of elevated temperatures and compression. Results demonstrated that the chloride ion content in concrete increased linearly with temperature. After exposure to different elevated temperatures, the chloride ion content in BFRC varied greatly with increasing stress. The compressive stress ratio threshold for the chloride ion penetration was measured. A calculation model of BFRC chloride ion diffusion coefficient under the coupling effect of elevated temperatures and mechanical damage (loading test) was proposed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Challenges in Civil Structure for Fire Response)
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20 pages, 10624 KiB  
Article
Development of an Analytical Model to Determine the Heat Fluxes to a Structural Element Due to a Travelling Fire
by Marion Charlier, Jean-Marc Franssen, Fabien Dumont, Ali Nadjai and Olivier Vassart
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(19), 9263; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app11199263 - 06 Oct 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1715
Abstract
The term “travelling fire” is used to label fires which burn locally and move across the floor over a period of time in large compartments. Through experimental and numerical campaigns and while observing the tragic travelling fire events, it became clear that such [...] Read more.
The term “travelling fire” is used to label fires which burn locally and move across the floor over a period of time in large compartments. Through experimental and numerical campaigns and while observing the tragic travelling fire events, it became clear that such fires imply a transient heating of the surrounding structure. The necessity to better characterize the thermal impact generated on the structure by a travelling fire motivated the development of an analytical model allowing to capture, in a simple manner, the multidimensional transient heating of a structure considering the effect of the ventilation. This paper first presents the basic assumptions of a new analytical model which is based on the virtual solid flame concept; a comparison of the steel temperatures measured during a travelling fire test in a steel-framed building with the ones obtained analytically is then presented. The limitations inherent to the analyticity of the model are also discussed. This paper suggests that the developed analytical model can allow for both an acceptable representation of the travelling fire in terms of fire spread and steel temperatures while not being computationally demanding, making it potentially desirable for pre-design. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Challenges in Civil Structure for Fire Response)
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20 pages, 8459 KiB  
Article
Real-Time Egress Model for Multiplex Buildings under Fire Based on Artificial Neural Network
by Khaliunaa Darkhanbat, Inwook Heo, Sun-Jin Han, Hae-Chang Cho and Kang Su Kim
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(14), 6337; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app11146337 - 08 Jul 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2169
Abstract
When fire occurs in a large multiplex building, the direction of smoke and flames is often similar to that of the evacuation of building occupants. This causes evacuation bottlenecks in a specific compartment, especially when the occupant density is very high, which unfortunately [...] Read more.
When fire occurs in a large multiplex building, the direction of smoke and flames is often similar to that of the evacuation of building occupants. This causes evacuation bottlenecks in a specific compartment, especially when the occupant density is very high, which unfortunately often leads to many fatalities and injuries. Thus, the development of an egress model that can ensure the safe evacuation of occupants is required to minimize the number of casualties. In this study, the correlations between fire temperature with visibility and toxic gas concentration were investigated through a fire simulation on a multiplex building, from which databases for training of artificial neural networks (ANN) were created. Based on this, an ANN model that can predict the available safe egress time was developed, and it estimated the available safe egress time (ASET) very accurately. In addition, an egress model that can guide rapid and safe evacuation routes for occupants was proposed, and the rationality of the proposed model was verified in detail through an application example. The proposed model provided the optimal evacuation route with the longest margin of safety in consideration of both ASET and the movement time of occupants under fire. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Challenges in Civil Structure for Fire Response)
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12 pages, 4080 KiB  
Article
Mechanical Properties and Thermal Conductivity of Fly Ash-Based Geopolymer Foams with Polypropylene Fibers
by Ni Komang Ayu Agustini, Andreas Triwiyono, Djoko Sulistyo and S Suyitno
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(11), 4886; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app11114886 - 26 May 2021
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 2869
Abstract
This paper focuses on the effect of polypropylene (PP) fibers on the mechanical properties and thermal conductivity of fly ash-based geopolymer foams. Class C Fly ash (FA) was used as a binder material. A mixture of sodium silicate (SS) and sodium hydroxide (SH) [...] Read more.
This paper focuses on the effect of polypropylene (PP) fibers on the mechanical properties and thermal conductivity of fly ash-based geopolymer foams. Class C Fly ash (FA) was used as a binder material. A mixture of sodium silicate (SS) and sodium hydroxide (SH) was used as an alkaline activator of the geopolymer binder. The foams were prepared mechanically by mixing the foaming agent with distilled water at high pressure. The foams were added to the geopolymer admixture with volumes of 40% and 60%. A small dosage of PP was varied from 0%, 0.25%, and 0.50% by weight of fly ash (FA). The result showed that the strength of foamed geopolymer rises as the PP fiber content increases. The PP fiber was proven to increase the tensile strength of foamed geopolymer due to the ability of PP fiber to connect the crack and improve the tensile strength. The PP fiber amount in this study significantly affects the thermal conductivity of foamed geopolymer. However, the thermal conductivity in this study has the same properties as lightweight concrete and a little higher than gypsum board. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Challenges in Civil Structure for Fire Response)
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16 pages, 1636 KiB  
Article
Risk Index Method—A Tool for Building Fire Safety Assessments
by Dorota Brzezińska and Paul Bryant
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(8), 3566; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app11083566 - 15 Apr 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 7539
Abstract
The use of fire safety engineering and performance-based techniques continues to grow in prominence as building design becomes more ambitious, increasing complexity. National fire safety enforcement agencies are tasked with evaluating and approving the resulting fire strategies, which have similarly continued to become [...] Read more.
The use of fire safety engineering and performance-based techniques continues to grow in prominence as building design becomes more ambitious, increasing complexity. National fire safety enforcement agencies are tasked with evaluating and approving the resulting fire strategies, which have similarly continued to become more advanced and specialist. To assist with the evaluation of fire strategies, this paper introduces a methodology dedicated to sustainable building fire safety level simulations. The methodology derives from ideas originally introduced in British Standard Specification PAS 911 in 2007 and combines a visual representation of fire strategies with a semi-quantitative approach to allow for their evaluation. The concept can be applied to a range of industrial fire safety assessments and can be modified for specific needs relative to different industries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Challenges in Civil Structure for Fire Response)
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Review

Jump to: Editorial, Research

17 pages, 7269 KiB  
Review
Design Recommendations for Bonded Anchors under Fire Conditions Using the Resistance Integration Method
by Omar Al-Mansouri, Romain Mège, Nicolas Pinoteau, Thierry Guillet, Roberto Piccinin, Kenton McBride, Marco Abate and Sébastien Rémond
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(17), 7810; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app11177810 - 25 Aug 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1662
Abstract
Fire design of cast-in place and post-installed anchors in concrete under fire is covered by EN 1992-4, Annex D, allowing steel- and concrete-related failure modes of anchors to be calculated. This informative annex of EN 1992-4 is limited to cast-in place or mechanical [...] Read more.
Fire design of cast-in place and post-installed anchors in concrete under fire is covered by EN 1992-4, Annex D, allowing steel- and concrete-related failure modes of anchors to be calculated. This informative annex of EN 1992-4 is limited to cast-in place or mechanical anchors, whereas post-installed adhesive anchors remain out of its scope. This paper presents a study of the applicability of the more flexible resistance integration method (RIM), proposed originally for the design of the pull-out resistance of post-installed reinforcement (PIR) by Pinoteau, on bonded anchors in uncracked concrete. This method is validated from a comparison of test results obtained from two research projects conducted at CSTB and TU Kaiserslautern on bonded anchors in uncracked concrete under ISO 834-1 fire conditions. The data considered include tests conducted on anchor sizes from M8-M30 using three different adhesives (two epoxy adhesives and one cementitious mortar). Design of the pull-out resistance under fire using RIM requires numerical calculation of temperature profiles considering models of concrete and steel elements; different assumptions about modeling these elements can produce vastly different end results. Finally, recommendations for assessment procedures for bonded anchors under fire conditions are provided as entry data for design. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Challenges in Civil Structure for Fire Response)
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