2013-09-13

Fire resistance

Robert Jansson
SP Fire Technology
September 11, 2013
robert.jansson@sp.se

Outline

Fire resistance
Part 1:
• What is fire resistance?
• Behaviour of the main building materials in fire
• Simple design rules

Part 2:
• What is failure?
• Examples of big fire tests
• Design of structures in fire
• Case study

What is fire resistance?

• Loadbearing capacity
• Integrity
• Insulation

• Walls
• Roofs
• Floors
Storey 2
• Ceilings
Load bearing floor
• Doors
• Windows
• Penetration seals
Storey 1
• Installations

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Classification
• R – Loadbearing capacity
The ability of a loaded building element to withstand a fire without loosing its
stability
• E – Integrity
The ability of a building element to prevent passage through it of flames and hot
gases
• I – Insulation
The ability of a building element to restrict temperature rise on the unexposed side

Classification period 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120 … [min]

Eg. REI 90

Fire resistance test of loadbearing capacity- R

• Load level provided by the sponsor
L2
• Performance criteria: - Deflection or contraction: D
400 d
dD L2
- Rate of deflection or contraction:
dt 9000 d
Horizontal element

Deflection

Vertical element Contraction

Fire resistance test of integrity- E

• Flames
• Cotton pad
• Gap gauges

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Fire resistance test of insulation - I

• Maximum temperature rise:

• 140ºC, average
• 180ºC, any location

Furnaces at SP Fire Technology

Vertical furnace Horizontal furnace

Fire curves
1600
1400
1200
Temperature (C)

1000
800
600
RWS
400
HC-curve
200 Standard curve
0
0 30 60 90 120 150 180
Time (minutes)

• Standard time – temperature curve ISO 834

• Hydrocarbon curve
• RWS: Tunnel fires

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Examples of product - Walls

Non-loadbering wall

Loadbearing wall

Examples of product - Glazed partitions

Glazed partitions, EW

Door with insulating glass pane

Examples of product - Doors

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Fire resistance test of smoke leakage - S

Doors with fire

resistance ability, i.e.
EI xx will not protect
against smoke
leakage

Smoke tight doors

are used in hospitals,
prison cells, hotels
etc.

Examples of product - Penetration seals

Cables

Power cables
Signal cables

The function of the cables shall be maintain during fire exposure

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Common building materials

• Concrete
• Wood
• Steel

None of these materials can withstand an endless fire!

Concrete and fire

• Generally a very fire resisting material

• Well known material characteristics

• Quite simple to design structures for fire exposure (theoretical

methods)

• Can have problems with spalling

• NEW CONCRETES BEHAVES DIFFERENTLY (SCC, HPC…)

Design of concrete structures

• Temperature calculations

• Temperature known → Stresses can be calculated

• Different methods available

– FEM
– Simple handbook methods
– Design charts
– Eurocode 2

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Some temperature dependant properties of concrete

Eurocode 2:
Design of concrete structures – Part 1-2: General rules –Structural fire design

Some temperature dependant properties of concrete

• Compressive strength

Some temperature dependant properties of concrete

• Elasticity

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Some typical behaviour of concrete during heating

• Thermal expansion of
- the cement paste
- the aggregate

Fire spalling of concrete

A loaded beam during a large scale fire test

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Surface spalling

Stockholm 2006 Heberg 2005

Angered 2007 Alingsås 2006

Severe spalling

St Gotthard 2001
Great Belt 1994

Mont Blanc 1999 Euro tunnel 1996

Fire spalling prediction

• Role of thumbs, monograms or theoretical calculations is only
guidance when dealing with SCC or HPC. To be sure fire tests
needs to be performed.

• Remember:
Dangerous fire spalling does not occur in low strength dry
concrete!!

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Other concrete damage

• Cracks, delaminations

Wood
Wood is an organic combustible material, its fire properties is
mainly influenced of:

• Dimension
• Moisture content
• Density
• Roughness

Ignition of wood
- In presence of a small flame

Time to ignition [min]

40
Lower limit for ignition

30

20
Increased moisture content,
Increased density
10

Rougher surface
0
0 10 20 30 40
Incident heat flux [kW/m2]

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Temperature zones
In slowly heated wood different temperature zones will occurs in
the material.
• Below 200 C
The degradation is slow, in principal CO2 and H2O are released.

• Between 280 – 500 °C

Combustible gases is formed which burns outside the material in
presence of oxygen. Charcoal is formed but will not burn.

• Above 500 °C
Charcoal is formed but burns in the same rate as it forms.

Charing

In a fully developed fire is the charring rate app. 0.6 – 1.0 mm/min.
• Char layer
• Pyrolysis zone
A very thin zone, a few mm
• Normal wood
The temperature and the main part
of the properties are almost
unaffected.

Wood structures will maintain the loadbearing capacity under a

certain time

Example REI 60

• Wood stud 45x120 mm

• Insulation 120 mm

• One layer of 15 mm gypsum

plaster boards on each side.

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Example JAS Approval 45 minutes

• Glue laminated timber beam

• Width x height: 150 x300 mm
• Span: 5.4 m
• Load: app. 2 tons
F F

300
150

Steel

Steel structure

Steel - Thermal conductivity

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Steel - Specific heat

Steel - Thermal elongation

Thermal induced stresses

Mechanical properties

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Protection materials for steel

Boards Intumescent coating

Simplified design methods

• Concrete
• Wood
• Steel

Simplified design methods

• Concrete
• Wood
• Steel

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Simplified design methods

• Wood
• Concrete
• Steel

Questions?
For additional information
robert.jansson@sp.se

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