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Holistic Performance-Based Fire Design of Steel Structures—Case Study: Sports Hall

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Abstract

This paper presents the performance-based fire safety analysis of steel structures of padel-center built in Nokia, Finland. The analyses are conducted using advanced calculation models (fire simulations using Fire Dynamics Simulator, FDS, and finite element method, FEM, based analyses of the steel frames in elevated temperatures using SAFIR software, including joint analysis) in support with less sophisticated models (critical temperatures of steel members). The following localized fire scenarios are studied: lounge area furniture fire (4 sofas), sporting equipment fire (10 sporting bags filled with flammable clothing), fire during maintenance (scissor lift fire with miscellaneous temporary fire load) and a fire on HVAC balcony near the trusses. The aim of the paper is showcase recent developments in design processes and methods that are in practical use today in performance-based fire design (PBD), to demonstrate that relatively extensive performance-based studies can be (commercially) viable also in relatively small and mundane steel buildings, and to present a fairly robust framework for PBD of similar steel structures. As a result of the performance-based design, most of the steel structures in the case building could be constructed without fire protection, but some critical structures were identified and protected to class R30. The proposed design was approved by the local municipal authorities.

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Acknowledgements

Construction company Meijou Oy is acknowledged for letting us publish this project, structural design office Tolppa Oy is acknowledged for providing the steel frame and the critical temperatures, and both are gratefully acknowledged for seamless co-operation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Markku Kauriala Ltd Fire Engineering and Fire Safety Design Consultants, Tampere, Finland

    Timo Jokinen & Risto Ranua

  2. Jensen Hughes, Tampere, Finland

    Mikko Salminen

Authors
  1. Timo Jokinen
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  2. Risto Ranua
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  3. Mikko Salminen
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Contributions

All authors contributed equally to the conception of the design methods and processes and proprietary calculations tools for the presented performance-based fire design. Supervision by MS and TJ. Case study calculations was carried out by RR and TJ. Head author of the original Finnish simulation report of the case study presented to the Finnish municipal authorities: RR. Head author of this manuscript: TJ. All authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Timo Jokinen.

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The authors declare that they have no known competing interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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Jokinen, T., Ranua, R. & Salminen, M. Holistic Performance-Based Fire Design of Steel Structures—Case Study: Sports Hall. Fire Technol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10694-023-01519-z

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