Assessment of Post-Earthquake Fire Behavior of a Steel MRF Building in a Low Seismic Region

Abstract

Building-level response to post-earthquake fire hazards in steel buildings has been assessed using primarily two-dimensional analyses of the lateral force resisting system. This approach may not adequately consider potential vulnerabilities in the gravity framing system. For this reason, three-dimensional (3D) finite element models of a 10-story case study building with perimeter moment resisting frames were developed to analyze post-earthquake fire events and better understand building response. Earthquakes are simulated using ground motion time histories, while Eurocode parametric time–temperature curves are used to represent compartment fires. Incremental dynamic analysis and incremental fire analysis procedures capture a range of hazard intensities. Findings show that the structural response due to earthquake and fire hazards are somewhat decoupled from one another. Regardless of the level of plastic hinging present in the moment framing system due to a seismic event, gravity column failure is the initiating failure mode in a fire event.