Webinar: Advanced Solutions and Best Practices in Structural Fire Engineering

We typically use prescriptive regulations as a baseline for fire protection requirements rather than the Eurocode consequence classification. One of the challenges related to the Eurocode methodology in fire is that the acceptable probabilities for structural failure are extremely low, which is reasonable. However, in reality, the actions of fire brigade have huge effect on the failure probability, and we generally avoid making assumptions about that.

It depends greatly on the size of the model. Some models may run hours, some days. Fortunately, the computers have developed and there are options available to use relatively fast tools.

We have a specialist façade team, and our structural fire engineering team is not dealing with facades regularly. However, we have also experience of modelling a façade system, first calibrating the model against test data, and after that modelling it in more realistic compartment fire where the flames break the window. 

We have been using the new GmSAFIR preprocessor for approximately couple of years already.

We don’t use time equivalency often in SFE-analysis. Sometimes in preliminary analysis, the Eurocode formula can be used to get some idea about how severe of a fire we are dealing with. We prefer to do the advanced thermal (and structural) analysis to the actual structure in order to investigate if the structure that is designed for standard fire (for example, 30, 60 or 90minutes) will have the required load-bearing capacity in a realistic fire scenario.

Yes, we have a lot of experience with mass timber projects related to SFE-analysis, also in the UK.

In our analysis, we don’t typically take the fire brigade actions into account. So, the decay/cooling phase of the fire starts when most of the fire load has burnt. There are different methods to determine the fire curve and when the decay/cooling phase of the fire starts, including published research, standard methods, fire tests and fire simulations. 

For fire simulations (CFD-calculations), we use Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) or (zone-model) B-RISK. For thermal and structural analyses, we use FEM-software SAFIR, which is software tailored for structural fire engineering. Not all projects require advanced tools, sometimes qualitative assessment or simple calculations may be enough also.

For fire simulations (CFD-calculations), we use Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) or (zone-model) B-RISK. For thermal and structural analyses, we use FEM-software SAFIR, which is software tailored for structural fire engineering. Not all projects require advanced tools, sometimes qualitative assessment or simple calculations may be enough also.

Correct, in some relatively simple assessments building control may have the required competency. However, in most cases peer review/third-party review is required.