Holistic Approach to Resilience of Steel-Frame Construction in Fire

Abstract

Current governing codes and standards in the United States provide engineers with an option to design structures for the load effects caused by a fire. This process consists of calculating the required thickness of fire protection material on each structural member due to the actual performance of the structure in a fire event and considering the inherent fire resistance of the structure itself. Although this process may not be necessary for all building types and construction, for some buildings structural fire engineering can result in significant financial, environmental, and performance benefits for the building. The results of this study showed that for buildings with enhanced design objectives, implementing structural fire engineering can result in more economical structures that have an improved fire resistance, shorter schedule of construction, improved safety of the job site, and less global warming potential (GWP) due to the more efficient use of building materials during design.