Resilience enhancement of fire-protected steel frames under multi-hazards

The prosperity and sustained economic growth of societies depend on the safe and continuous operation of infrastructures, which can be challenged by the impact of catastrophic hazards (e.g., earthquakes, fire, tsunami, etc.).

The best solution is to ensure infrastructures have adequate resilience against potential multi-hazards on a scientific knowledge base.

The proposed MulHazardRes project will develop a performance-based methodology for evaluating and improving the resilience of fire-protected steel building structures against earthquake hazards and post-earthquake fire hazards that is raising major international scientific and industrial interest. This methodology will be sophisticated and practical.

First, collaborative research efforts will be made to assess the vulnerability of fire-protected steel building structures under various earthquake and post-earthquake fire scenarios through both experimental and numerical investigations.

Second, resilience enhancement technologies will be developed by reducing the damage of spray-applied fire-resistive materials, plastic damage of steel components, structural residual deformations, and combined damage of steel materials because of strong earthquakes and post-earthquake fires.

Finally, design criteria, design methods, and life-cycle risk-based estimation approach will be developed within the performance-based methodology to enhance the resilience of fire-protected steel frames against earthquake and post-earthquake fire hazards.

The research outcomes of the proposed MulHazardRes project hold the potential to significantly advance the state of the art in better safeguarding the infrastructure systems against multi-hazards.