Advanced Calculation Methods of Structures in Fire

Recommended Prerequisites

Applied Mechanics, Resistance of Materials, Numerical Methods, Fire Safety of Structures.

Teaching Methods

The theoretical lessons will be composed of a detailed exposition of the concepts, principles and fundamental theories of advanced calculation of structures subjected to fire and with the introduction of some practical exercises that meet all the needs of students for the subject. Some lessons will have a more theoretical-practical nature in which the students, under teacher’s guidance, will design with the aid of a finite element computer program such as ABAQUS, some cases of structures and structural elements subjected to fire.

Students will also have the opportunity to model experimentally some of the phenomena studied in this curricular unit under different National and European projects in progress at the Laboratory for Testing of Materials and Structures of the University of Coimbra.

Learning Outcomes

The purpose of this course is to provide students with the knowledge required for advanced calculation of structures subjected to fire. This course therefore constitutes an advanced part of the knowledge acquired in the course of Fire Safety of Structures in the Masters in Urban Fire Safety.

In this course will be taught aspects primarily related with the modeling of the thermal action and mechanical action of fires on structures. Programs and subroutines for calculating the different phenomena shall be prepared by students. Modeling it will also be held in finite element code allowing the implementation of these subroutines in the calculation. Students at the end of this curricular unit will be able to model different phenomena of structure’s behavior in fire situation.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1. INTRODUCTION
2. MODELING OF BEHAVIOUR OF MATERIALS SUBJECTED TO HIGH TEMPERATURES

Steel, concrete, timber, aluminum and masonry.

3. MODELING OF THERMAL ACTION ON STRUCTURES

Heat transfer equation, initial and boundary conditions, finite elements applied to heat transfer, integration methods and stresses of thermal origin.

4. MODELING OF MECHANICAL ACTION ON STRUCTURES

Stiffness matrix; material stiffness, geometric and material nonlinearities; updated Lagrangian formulation, method of Rankine, mechanical stresses, high temperature instability of columns, beams and frames, thin-walled elements, membrane forces in slabs at high temperatures; cracking models of concrete at high temperatures, the method of components for modeling the fire behavior of steel connections.

5. ADVANCED TECHNIQUES OF EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS

Head Lecturer(s)

João Paulo Correia Rodrigues

Assessment Methods

Continuous
Elaboration of a final report: 100.0%

Bibliography

Eurocodes – Part 1.2: Actions on Structures - Actions on Structures Exposed to Fire, CEN.

Chen, W. F. e Lui, E.M. - Structural Stability – Theory and Implementation, Elsevier Science Publishing Co. Inc., 1987.

Lienhard IV, J. H., Lienhard V, J. H., A Heat Transfer Textbook, 3rd Edition, Phlogiston Press, (v1.31 – 16 January 2008)

National Fire Protection Association, SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering, 2nd Edition, Society of Fire Protection Engineers, 1995.

Owen, D.R.J., Hinton, E. - Finite Elements in Plasticity, Theory and Practice, Department of Civil Engineering, University College of Swansea, U.K., Pineridge Press Limited, Swansea, 1980.

Owen, D.R.J., Hinton, E. - Finite Element Programing, Academic Press Inc. (London) Ltd. London, 1977.

Zienkiewicz, O.C. and Taylor, R.L. - The Finite Element Method, fifth edition, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, 2000.