FIRE-STRUCTURES INTERACTION AND ELEMENTS OF FIRE-ENGINEERING
- Overview
- Assessment methods
- Learning objectives
- Contents
- Full programme
- Delivery method
- Teaching methods
- Contacts/Info
The basics of Mechanics of Materials and Structural Design are assumed to be well known.
The course is intended to be assessed after a positive grade (equal to or higher of 18/30) in the oral examination, which covers all the subjects of the course. In order to access the oral examination, the students need to positively sustain a written examination inherent the solution of plane frame structures subjected to static loads and thermal gradients with the stiffness method. A positive judgement from letter A to letter C, being A the maximum, will be attributed to the written exam. This judgement will have orientative influence on the oral examination result.
It is also necessary in order to access the oral examination to have the following homeworks developed independently by the student and validated by the Professor:
- calculation of fire load and temperature evolution over time for a specific case study (homework A);
- thermal mapping and structural check of an element in cast-in-situ or prestressed concrete, in steel or in timber (homework B).
In case of refusal of the final score, the student should communicate it within 5 days after the publication of the vote in the ESSE3 platform.
AIM OF THE COURSE
The aim of the course is to provide the students with the following skills: (a) definition and organisation of Fire Engineering, (b) modelling of the fire load, (c) evaluation of thermal maps, (d) solution of statically determined and statically undetermined structures subjected to thermal gradients, (e) structural checks of elements in steel, cast-in-situ and precast reinforced concrete, composite steel-concrete, timber or unreinforced masonry subjected to fire load in accordance with the current regulations, (f) design of passive protections of structural elements subjected to fire load.
LEARNING OUCOMES
• Cognitive skills
- acquire the fundamentals information needed to address a critical evaluation process of the evaluation of the resistance of a structure to fire load
- acquire the required information related to the modelling of the fire load and of the temperature evolution over time
• Learning abilities
- ability to read, understand and criticize a scientific text about the behaviour of structures in fire conditions (also in English)
- ability to read, understand and comment technical documents in support of the evaluation of structural fire resistance
• Practical and subject specific skills
- ability to propose a problem-solving approach
- ability to identify the main environmental issues necessary for the development of technical documentation in support of reports of structural fire resistance
• Communication skills
- ability to identify, extract and synthesize relevant information
- demonstrate effective communication skills by practicing, reading, writing and speaking clearly
- demonstrate the ability to communicate with industry experts.
MODELLING OF FIRE ACTION (14 h)
Chemical-physical nature of fire. Fire load. Temperature-time curves. Standard and analytical approaches.
THERMAL MAPPING (6 h)
Recall of Thermophysics. Conduction, convection, radiation. Profiles of sectional temperature distribution. Spatial distribution of temperature.
STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS WITH THERMAL GRADIENTS (24 h)
Statically determined structures. Statically undetermined structures and flexibility method. Plane frames and stiffness method. Second order effects.
STATIC CHECKS OF STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS SUBJECTED TO FIRE LOAD (44 h)
Framing and rapid check methods. Protectives. Steel structures. Pure, mixed and deviated flexure. Shear and torsion. Problems of Eulerian and lateral stability. Connections. Trussed beams. Structures in cast-in-situ and precast concrete. Composite steel-concrete structures. Timber structures. Masonry structures.
COMPLEMENTS (8 h)
Effects of explosions and deflagrations. Structural design against explosions. Thematical workshops by professional designers on advanced applications of Fire Engineering. Thematical workshop on post-fire diagnostics.
MODELLING OF FIRE ACTION (14 h)
Chemical-physical nature of fire. Fire load. Temperature-time curves. Standard and analytical approaches.
THERMAL MAPPING (6 h)
Recall of Thermophysics. Conduction, convection, radiation. Profiles of sectional temperature distribution. Spatial distribution of temperature.
STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS WITH THERMAL GRADIENTS (24 h)
Statically determined structures. Statically undetermined structures and flexibility method. Plane frames and stiffness method. Second order effects.
STATIC CHECKS OF STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS SUBJECTED TO FIRE LOAD (44 h)
Framing and rapid check methods. Protectives. Steel structures. Pure, mixed and deviated flexure. Shear and torsion. Problems of Eulerian and lateral stability. Connections. Trussed beams. Structures in cast-in-situ and precast concrete. Composite steel-concrete structures. Timber structures. Masonry structures.
COMPLEMENTS (8 h)
Effects of explosions and deflagrations. Structural design against explosions. Thematical workshops by professional designers on advanced applications of Fire Engineering. Thematical workshop on post-fire diagnostics.
The course is based on frontal theoretical lessons. Different teaching methods included remote lectures on streaming may be proposed for exceptional cases.
Students can meet with the professor in his office by previous phone or email appointment.