Why do NIST Scientists Study the Deformation of Structures Due to Fire?
Despite significant damage including collapse due to fire in major buildings (e.g., First Interstate Bank Building, One Meridian Plaza, One New York Plaza, and WTC 7), current building codes in the US do not consider fire as a design condition. Rather, required fire ratings of building members and assemblies are specified in building codes. Current prescriptive practice for assuring fire resistance ratings are based on a standard fire test that has changed little since its introduction in 1917. A new approach to fire-safe design is needed to assure the safety of building occupants and first responders, accommodate ever-changing building design practice, and allow the introduction of innovative materials and systems. The Buildings and Fire Research Laboratory (BFRL) at NIST has undertaken a research effort to develop a unified performance-based methodology to evaluate the fire behavior of building-type structures by incorporating knowledge concerning fire load, material response, and ov
