Structural Fire Loads

A complete guide to designing structures to better withstand the effects of fires of various growths

Structural Fire Loads: Theory and Principles combines the disciplines of structural engineering and fire protection engineering by offering a screening tool that can be used by engineers to perform preliminary assessments of fire as a load and its impact on structures. The book covers slow, medium, fast, and ultra-fast fire growth and fires in combination with seismic loads.

Neither the 2009 IBC nor ASCE-7 considers fire a structural design load in buildings when prescriptive resistive design methods are used. However, the ICC Performance Code for Building and Facilities requires that the structural integrity of a building be evaluated and maintained to limit fire impact. This practical guide bridges the gap between structural engineering and fire protection engineering when fire is considered a design load.

Structural Fire Loads features:

• Practical examples for fire protection and structural engineering design presented in a simple, step-by-step computational format
• Details on slow, medium, fast, and ultra-fast fire growth
• A Solutions Manual for equations presented in chapters 6 and 7
• NIST Best Practices and Surveys for Fire Loads
• A single source that outlines how fire impacts structures

Authoritative coverage:
Overview of Current Practice; Structural Fire Load and Computer Models; Differential Equations and Assumptions; Simplifications of Differential Equations; Fire Load and Severity of Fires; Structural Analysis and Design