Large scale fire test: The development of a travelling fire in open ventilation conditions and its influence on the surrounding steel structure

Ali Nadjai; Alam Naveed; Marion Charlier; Olivier Vassart; Stephen Welsh; Antoine Glorieux; Johan Sjostrom

doi:10.1016/j.firesaf.2022.103575

Large scale fire test: The development of a travelling fire in open ventilation conditions and its influence on the surrounding steel structure

Ali Nadjai, Alam Naveed, Marion Charlier, Olivier Vassart, Stephen Welsh, Antoine Glorieux, Johan Sjostrom

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Abstract

In the frame of the European RFCS-TRAFIR project, natural fire tests in large compartment were conducted by Ulster University, involving steel structure and aiming at understanding the conditions in which a travelling fire develops, how it behaves and impacts the surrounding structure. During the experimental programme, the path and geometry of the travelling fire was studied and temperatures, heat fluxes and spread rates were measured. The experimental data is presented in terms of gas temperatures recorded in the test compartment at different positions and levels. The influence of the travelling fire on the surround structure is presented in terms of the temperatures recorded in the selected steel columns and beams. The temperatures in the test compartment were dependent on the positioning of the travelling fire band as well as the height from the floor level. The non-uniform temperatures in the compartment lead to transient heating of the nearby structural steel elements, resulting in a reduction of their resistance which may influence the global structural stability. The results obtained will help to understand the behaviour of travelling fires and their influence on the structural members. This knowledge will help to reduce the travelling fire associated risks in future.

Original language	English
Article number	103575
Journal	Fire Safety Journal
Volume	130
Early online date	11 Apr 2022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.firesaf.2022.103575
Publication status	Published (in print/issue) - 30 Jun 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was carried out in the frame of the TRAFIR project with funding from the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (grant N°754198). Partners are ArcelorMittal, Liège University, the University of Edinburgh, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden and the University of Ulster. The authors also wish to acknowledge the supporting of companies Sean Timoney & Sons Ltd, FP McCann Ltd, Saverfield Ltd and Crossfire Ltd.

Keywords

Travelling fire tests
Natural fire tests
Steel structure
Large-scale compartment tests

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.firesaf.2022.103575

1-s2.0-S0379711222000534-mainAuthor Accepted Manuscript, 2.77 MBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

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abstract = "In the frame of the European RFCS-TRAFIR project, natural fire tests in large compartment were conducted by Ulster University, involving steel structure and aiming at understanding the conditions in which a travelling fire develops, how it behaves and impacts the surrounding structure. During the experimental programme, the path and geometry of the travelling fire was studied and temperatures, heat fluxes and spread rates were measured. The experimental data is presented in terms of gas temperatures recorded in the test compartment at different positions and levels. The influence of the travelling fire on the surround structure is presented in terms of the temperatures recorded in the selected steel columns and beams. The temperatures in the test compartment were dependent on the positioning of the travelling fire band as well as the height from the floor level. The non-uniform temperatures in the compartment lead to transient heating of the nearby structural steel elements, resulting in a reduction of their resistance which may influence the global structural stability. The results obtained will help to understand the behaviour of travelling fires and their influence on the structural members. This knowledge will help to reduce the travelling fire associated risks in future.",

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AU - Welsh, Stephen

AU - Glorieux, Antoine

AU - Sjostrom, Johan

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N2 - In the frame of the European RFCS-TRAFIR project, natural fire tests in large compartment were conducted by Ulster University, involving steel structure and aiming at understanding the conditions in which a travelling fire develops, how it behaves and impacts the surrounding structure. During the experimental programme, the path and geometry of the travelling fire was studied and temperatures, heat fluxes and spread rates were measured. The experimental data is presented in terms of gas temperatures recorded in the test compartment at different positions and levels. The influence of the travelling fire on the surround structure is presented in terms of the temperatures recorded in the selected steel columns and beams. The temperatures in the test compartment were dependent on the positioning of the travelling fire band as well as the height from the floor level. The non-uniform temperatures in the compartment lead to transient heating of the nearby structural steel elements, resulting in a reduction of their resistance which may influence the global structural stability. The results obtained will help to understand the behaviour of travelling fires and their influence on the structural members. This knowledge will help to reduce the travelling fire associated risks in future.

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Large scale fire test: The development of a travelling fire in open ventilation conditions and its influence on the surrounding steel structure

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

UN SDGs

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