Integrated nonlinear structural simulation of composite buildings in fire

Abstract

The collapse of several tall composite buildings over the last two decades has shown that the performance of tall, composite and complex buildings in fire is a necessary design consideration that ought to go beyond simple code compliance. To this end, several advancements in the field of numerical simulation of both the fire and the thermomechanical response of structures have been made. In isolation, the practical benefit of these advancements is limited, and their true potential is only unlocked when the results of those numerical simulations are integrated. This paper starts by showcasing recent developments in the thermal and thermomechanical analysis of structures using OpenSees. Integration of these developments into a unified simulation environment combining fire simulation, heat transfer, and mechanical analysis is then introduced. Finally, a demonstration example based on the large compartment Cardington test is used to showcase the necessity and efficiency of the developed simulation environment for thermomechanical simulation of composite structures in fire.