- 1. The Northern Virginia Chapter of CSINovember Chapter
MeetingNovember 9, 2011Fires in Structures at NIST:Standards
Developmentthrough Modeling and TestingDr. Kathryn ButlerPhysicist,
Fire Research DivisionDr. Jiann YangDirector, National Fire
Research LaboratoryEngineering Laboratory
2. National Bureau of Standards (NBS)founded 1901Connecticut
Ave. site 3. Historic ConflagrationsThe Great Baltimore Fire of
1904 4. The Standard Fire Test Committee P was organized by ASTM in
1905 largely as aresult of the Baltimore fire of the year before By
1906, ASTM Committee P (which would later becomeC-5 and eventually
E-5) proposed a standard specificationfor testing floors Furnace
temperature of 1700 F for all but the first hour Thinking at the
time: Fires were considered to have a single
representativetemperature and last for up to 4 hours A building
assembly passing a test under these conditionscould withstand a
fire burnout 5. ASTM Curve vs. Earlier Curves11200 20001000 1700
Temperature (C) 1600800 1200600 800 4002001Babrauskas and
Williamson (1978) 400 Fire Technology 14:184-194 30 60 90120 150
180 210 240Time (min) 6. The Standard Fire Test ASTM E 119 was
adopted in 1918 (as ASTM C 19)as a specification for Fire Tests of
Materials andConstruction Thus, the standard fire curve was
prescribedwithout knowledge of actual temperatures inbuilding fires
! 7. Early History of Fire Research at NBS NBS Federal Triangle
fire test NBS column furnace, 1920s 8. Temperature of a Burning
Building The first systematic effort to measure fire temperatures
was begun in 1922 by Simon Ingberg at NBS where he conducted tests
to burnout of typical office furnishings (furniture and paper) and
measured the temperatures. Ingbergs findings include the following:
that the fires produced temperature histories quite different from
the standard curve the integral of a time-temperature curve defines
the fire severity all fires of the same severity have approximately
the same effect on a structure the fuel load was the sole variable
governing the time-temperature relationship of room fires Ingbergs
equal area severity hypothesis 9. Ingbergs equal area severity
hypothesis 2400 1200 2000 1000Standard Fire CurveTemperature C
Temperature, F 1500 800 Cooling Curve (2 h)Test Fire Curve 600 1000
Threshold400 Temperature 500200 0 01 2 3 4 5678Time, h 10.
Relationship Between Fire Load and FireSeverityAssumed Combustible
Equivalent Fire Load
LoadFire(lb/ft2)(kg/m2)(Btu/ft2)MJ/m2Duration10 48.880,000 907.9 1
h 00 min15 73.2 120,0001361.9 1 h 30 min20 97.6 160,0001815.8 2 h
00 min30 146.5240,0002723.7 3 h 00 min40 195.3320,0003631.7 4 h 30
min50 244.1380,0004312.6 6 h 00 min60 292.9432,0004902.7 7 h 30
minS.H. Ingberg, Fire-Resistance Requirements in Building Codes,
Quarterlyof the National Fire Protection Association, Boston,
October, 1929 11. Today NIST Engineering Laboratory (EL)Strategic
Goals:Measurement Science and Standards for: Disaster-Resilient
Buildings, Infrastructure, andCommunities Sustainable and
Energy-Efficient Manufacturing,Materials, and Infrastructure Smart
Manufacturing, Construction, and Cyber-Physical Systems 12. NIST
Activities in fire/structureinteraction Performance-Based Design
for Fire 13. What is the problem? Current building codes do not
consider fire as a designcondition despite significant damage or
collapse due to firein major buildings (e.g., First Interstate Bank
Building, OneMeridian Plaza, One New York Plaza, WTC 5 and WTC 7).
Instead, required fire ratings of building members andassemblies,
derived from standard fire endurance tests(ASTM E119), are
specified in building codes. The ASTME119 test has changed little
since its introduction in 1917. At present, there are no
science-based, establishedmeasurement tools to evaluate the
performance of theentire structure, including connections, under
realistic fireloads (e.g., uncontrolled fire). 14. Performance of
Structures Subject to FirePerformance-Based Design for Fire
Identify structural fire safety objectives, functional requirements
and performance criteriaAnalysis of Structural Response to Fire
Determine design fire scenarios and design fires Evaluate the
thermal response of the structure Evaluate the mechanical response
of the structureReliability-Based Design of Structural Response to
Fire Identify reliability objectives for each limit state Determine
load factor for structurally significantto Fire Experimental
Determination of Structural Response fires Determine material
resistance factor for elevated temperatures Evaluate component and
system reliability for fire hazard and limit state 15. NIST
Activities in fire/structureinteraction Analysis of Structural
Response to Fire 16. Reliability-Based Design ofStructural Response
to FireUpper Chord 17. Structural fire performance of composite
floor systems Evaluated 4 structural features for their main and
interaction effects on time to damage onset and time to component
failures using a 24 factorial design . Studs on Beam Girder
BeamGirders Conn Type Framing Length + Double+ + Studs+5 m
angleSymmetric - No- Single- One-- 15 mstuds shear plate sided 18.
Fire Dynamics Simulator 19. Fire Dynamics Simulator 20. Fire
Studies Charleston Sofa Super Store Fire, South Carolina, 2007 The
Station Nightclub Fire, Rhode Island, 2003 Cook County
Administration High-Rise Office Fire, Illinois, 2003 World Trade
Center Fire, New York, 2001 Astoria Hardware Store Fire, New York,
2001 Houston Fast Food Restaurant Fire, Texas, 2000 Keokuk Duplex
Fire, Iowa, 1999 Cherry Road Townhouse Fire, Washington, D.C., 1999
Vandalia High-Rise Apartment Fire, New York, 1998 Happyland Social
Club Fire, New York, 1990 First Interstate Bank Building Fire,
California, 1988 Dupont Plaza Hotel Fire, Puerto Rico, 1986Reports
available from: http://www.nist.gov/el/disasterstudies/fire 21.
Building Standards Sprinklers Measurement Methods Smoke alarms Test
Methods Evacuation Predictive Tools Staircases Performance Metrics
Elevator Services Cigarettes Investigations Mattresses 22. NIST
Activities in fire/structure interaction Visualization of Fire
Dynamics-ThermalAnalysis-Structural Response 23. Fire Dynamics,
Thermal Analysis, and Structural Response Fire Simulation (FDS)
Thermal Analysis (ABAQUS)Structural ResponseModels run separately,
with each (ABAQUS)providing the boundary conditions for the next
24. 3-D Visualization then the results aredisplayed together sothe
interaction betweenfire and structure canbe understoodPoint Probe
Cutting Tool 25. NIST Activities in fire/structureinteraction
National Fire Research Laboratory 26. National Fire Research
Laboratory (NFRL)Director Dr. Jiann C. YangAssociate Director for
Associate Director forStructures Research Fire Research Dr. John L.
GrossDr. Matthew Bundy 27. National Fire Research Laboratory (NFRL)
Advance real-scale firemeasurements (fire sizes, materialignition
propensities, fire growth andspread, tenability, fire
suppressionand detection, and fire fighting) Enable experimental
validationstudies of fire models Conduct experiments to
supportpost-incident disaster and failurestudies Advance structural
performance infires Enable advances in fire & buildingcodes and
standards 28. Recent Experiments at NFRL Bus Fires Wind Effects on
Fire World Trade Center StudyFail PassMattress FiresCompartment
fires Fire Brands 29. NFRL Expansion Timeline Oct2003 NIST/SFPE
Roadmapping Workshop 2008 Stakeholder Meetings and Workshops
Oct2008 15 % Design Completed Apr2009 Selected for ARRA funding
Feb2010 Design Complete Aug2010 Construction Contract Awarded
Nov2010 Construction Notice to Proceed Mid- 2012 Construction
Complete Mid- 2013 Commissioning Complete 30. Design Objectives
Conduct tests on real-scale structural systems andcomponents a
building two stories high and two baysby three bays in plan. Apply
controlled loads to the test structure to simulatetrue service
conditions. Create realistic fires (up to 20 MW) that grow,
spread,fully-develop and decay. Characterize the fires (heat
release rates) in real time. Measure response of the structural
system andcomponents up to incipient collapse. 31. Expanded
Capabilities will allow NIST to: Test the performance of real-scale
structures underrealistic fire and structural loading under
controlledlaboratory conditions. Develop an experimental database
on the performanceof large-scale structural connections,
components,subassemblies and systems under realistic fire
andloading. Validate physics-based models to predict fire
resistanceperformance of structures. Provide the technical basis
for performance-basedstandards for fire resistance design of
structures andfoster innovation in the building design and
constructionindustry. 32. National Fire Research Laboratory
ExpansionSpecification Existing LaboratoryNew Laboratory Total
Floor Area10,800 sq. ft.21,400 sq. ft. 1 MW (small hood)Fire
Capacity 3 MW (medium hood)20 MW 10 MW (large hood) 60 ft. x 90 ft.
x 3.5 ft. thick strong floor Strong Floor/Strong WallNoneand 60 ft.
x 30 ft. x 4 ft. thick strong wall.Reconfigurable hydraulic loading
system,Structural Loading None55-330 kip actuators; 30 inch stroke
33. NFRL Floor Plan 21,400 sq ftexpansion 34. NFRL Expansion
Features60 ft by 30 ftStrong Wall60 ft by 90 ftStrong Floor 45 ft
by 50 ftECS Hood 35. Sections through the Building 36.
Structural-Fire Test Bay 37. Partnering with the NFRL The work of
the laboratory is focused on the Engineering Laboratorymission: To
promote US innovation and industrial competitiveness in areas of
national priority by anticipating and meeting the measurement
science and standards needs for technology-intensive manufacturing
and construction in ways that enhance economic prosperity and
improve the quality of life. The laboratory is led, managed, and
operated as a collaborative facilitythrough a public-private
partnership between NIST and industry, academia,and other
government agencies. Scientists and engineers from industry,
academia, and governmentagencies work side-by-side with NIST
researchers to address significantproblems and fill critical
knowledge gaps. International scientists and engineers partner with
NIST in areas of mutualinterest. Projects are funded by industry
and government, including NIST, on a cost-shared basis. 38. NFRL
Construction ProgressThe Original LabClear Site 2/15/2011
4/15/2011Excavate Basement Form and Pour Basement and Shear Walls
6/15/2011 8/5/2011 39. NFRL Construction ProgressForm and Pour
Basement and Shear Walls Form and Pour Basement and Shear Walls
9/1/2011 9/15/2011 Form Strong Floor, Set 1218 Anchors Prepare for
Pouring Strong Floor 10/10/2011 11/1/2011 40. Pouring of NFRL
Strong Floor Nov 3 41. Fly-Through 42. Visit UsNIST:
www.nist.govEngineering Laboratory:
www.nist.gov/elDisaster-Resilient Buildings, Infrastructure,
andCommunities: www.nist.gov/el/disresgoal.cfmFire.Gov:
www.nist.gov/fireNational Fire Research Laboratory:
www.nist.gov/el/fire_research/[email protected]@nist.gov
