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 structural mechanics and design are assumed to be well known.
The final assessment comprises on written and one oral examination. In order to access the oral examination, the students need to positively sustain a written examination with two exercises: the solution of plane frame structures subjected to static loads and thermal gradients with the stiffness method, and the solution of simple beams with the elastic line or flexibility method including second order effects. 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 with a possible modification of the mark from the oral exam of 2/30.
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. The main contributions to the final mark, in addition to the knowledge of the content, are: capacity to orally expose the knowledge; capacity to critically analyse and extrapolate from the knowledge; quality of the speech and skill in the use of the technical dictionary. To facilitate the preparation of the exam, a list of recurrent questions will be available to the students.
It is also necessary in order to access the oral examination to have the following homeworks developed independently by the student:
- 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, in composite steel-concrete, or in timber (homework B).
The quality and presentation of the homeworks will be evaluated as part of the oral examination.
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 and simulation of fire, (c) notions on simulation of occupant evacuation, (d) evaluation of thermal maps, (e) solution of statically determined and statically undetermined structures subjected to thermal gradients, (f) 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, (g) design of passive protections of structural elements subjected to fire load.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
• 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
- ability to execute and interpret fire simulations
- ability to carry out calculations concerning proportioning and detailed design/check of structural elements subject to static and fire loads
• 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 (20 h)
Chemical-physical nature of fire. Phases of development of fires. Fire load. Temperature-time curves: nominal and analytical/performance approaches. Models of parametric fire, local fire, zone, computational thermo-fluid-dynamics. Notions on simulation of occupant evacuation. Worked examples.
THERMAL MAPPING (6 h)
Recall of Thermophysics. Conduction, convection, radiation. Profiles of sectional temperature distribution. Spatial distribution of temperature. Worked examples with finite element software.
STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS WITH THERMAL GRADIENTS (20 h)
Statically determined structures. Statically undetermined structures and flexibility method. Plane frames and stiffness method. Second order effects and structural instability/buckling. Worked examples.
STATIC CHECKS OF STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS SUBJECTED TO FIRE LOAD (4 h)
Resisting mechanisms for structures subjected to large displacements. Framing and rapid check methods. Passive protection techniques.
STEEL STRUCTURES (16 h)
Phenomenology and characteristics of steel structures. Pure, mixed and deviated flexure. Shear and torsion. Problems of Eulerian and lateral stability. Connections. Trussed beams. Simplified method of nomogram.
REINFORCED CONCRETE AND COMPOSITE STEEL-CONCRETE STRUCTURES (14 h)
Structures in cast-in-situ and precast concrete. Simplified methods of Isotherm 500 and zone. Method of model column. Advanced check methods. Phenomenology and characteristics of composite steel-concrete structures.
TIMBER STRUCTURES AND MASONRY STRUCTURES (10 h)
Phenomenology and characteristics of timber structures. Phenomenology and characteristics of masonry structures. Large compartment walls. Worked examples.
COMPLEMENTS (10 h)
Thematical workshops by professional designers in co-presence of the lecturer will be held the following subjects of Fire Engineering: advanced fire simulation with CFD models; post-fire diagnostics, effects of explosions and deflagrations and structural design against them.
MODELLING OF FIRE ACTION (20 h)
Chemical-physical nature of fire. Phases of development of fires. Fire load. Temperature-time curves: nominal and analytical/performance approaches. Models of parametric fire, local fire, zone, computational thermo-fluid-dynamics. Notions on simulation of occupant evacuation. Worked examples.
THERMAL MAPPING (6 h)
Recall of Thermophysics. Conduction, convection, radiation. Profiles of sectional temperature distribution. Spatial distribution of temperature. Worked examples with finite element software.
STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS WITH THERMAL GRADIENTS (20 h)
Statically determined structures. Statically undetermined structures and flexibility method. Plane frames and stiffness method. Second order effects and structural instability/buckling. Worked examples.
STATIC CHECKS OF STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS SUBJECTED TO FIRE LOAD (4 h)
Resisting mechanisms for structures subjected to large displacements. Framing and rapid check methods. Passive protection techniques.
STEEL STRUCTURES (16 h)
Phenomenology and characteristics of steel structures. Pure, mixed and deviated flexure. Shear and torsion. Problems of Eulerian and lateral stability. Connections. Trussed beams. Simplified method of nomogram.
REINFORCED CONCRETE AND COMPOSITE STEEL-CONCRETE STRUCTURES (14 h)
Structures in cast-in-situ and precast concrete. Simplified methods of Isotherm 500 and zone. Method of model column. Advanced check methods. Phenomenology and characteristics of composite steel-concrete structures.
TIMBER STRUCTURES AND MASONRY STRUCTURES (10 h)
Phenomenology and characteristics of timber structures. Phenomenology and characteristics of masonry structures. Large compartment walls. Worked examples.
COMPLEMENTS (10 h)
Thematical workshops by professional designers in co-presence of the lecturer will be held the following subjects of Fire Engineering: advanced fire simulation with CFD models; post-fire diagnostics, effects of explosions and deflagrations and structural design against them.
The course is based on frontal theoretical lessons by the lecturer, including resolutions of applicative problems. The students will also autonomously solve practical problems with individual homeworks. Integrations and related to applications in several key subjects of the course will be dealt with seminars delivered by professionals of the sector.
Students can meet with the professor in his office by previous phone or email appointment.