Stability and Integrity of Cold-formed Steel Mid-rise Building in Post-Earthquake Fire

在北美取得巨大成功后，在住宅和商业建筑中应用冷弯型钢框架的全球趋势正在向高达9层的中层建筑发展，特别是在地震地区，这些建筑传统上依赖于较重的建筑材料。从历史上看，强震后火灾的风险非常高（1906年旧金山弗朗西斯科、1923年东京、1989年洛马普列塔、1994年北岭和1995年科比），对地震区的公共安全和财产构成重大威胁。目前，建筑物的设计符合现代建筑规范，将地震和火灾视为单独的危险，消防安全是基于防火和结构系统的完整性和正常性能的假设。在地震后火灾的情况下，这两个系统都可能在地震中受损;因此，结构对后续火灾的抵抗力可能会严重下降。 本研究的目的是发展一套实用且先进的方法，以评估地震后火灾下冷弯薄壁型钢（CFS）结构的稳定性和完整性。应当指出，过去没有在这方面进行过研究。由于拟议的研究解决了一个严重的问题，现代建筑规范，如加拿大国家建筑规范，没有适当解决，研究的重要性是提高结构的生命安全性能，包括改善对灾难性倒塌的保护，以保障公众的安全，以及在地震后发生火灾时救援人员和消防员的安全。加拿大人和世界其他地方的人民，特别是那些在地震地区的人，将受益于更安全的生活和工作建筑环境。考虑到地震后火灾的高灾难性后果，关于防止地震后火灾的中层CFS建筑设计的研究在加拿大是势在必行的，而且早该进行。这项研究将开发HQP所需的技能，以解决对加拿大人的生命，安全和财产具有重大意义的技术和社会挑战。

Following its great success in North America, the worldwide trend of applying cold-formed steel framing in residential and commercial building construction is advancing to mid-rise buildings up to nine storeys, particularly in seismic regions, where such buildings traditionally have relied on heavier construction materials. Historically, risks associated with fire following a strong earthquake are very high (1906 San Francisco, 1923 Tokyo, 1989 Loma Prieta, 1994 Northridge and 1995 Kobe), posing a major threat to public safety and property in seismic regions. Buildings are currently designed to conform to modern building codes treating earthquakes and fires as separate hazards, and fire safety is based on the assumption of the integrity and normal performance of fireproofing and structural system. In the case of post-earthquake fire, both systems can be damaged in an earthquake; therefore, the structural resistances to subsequent fires can be seriously degraded. The objective of the research proposed is to develop a practical and advanced methodology for assessing the stability and integrity of cold-formed steel (CFS) structures in post-earthquake fire. It should be noted that no research in this area has been carried out in the past. As the proposed research addresses a serious issue that modern building codes, like the National Building Code of Canada, have not appropriately addressed, the importance of the research is to enhance the life-safety performance of the structures, including improved protection against catastrophic collapse to safeguard the safety of the public as well as that of rescue workers and firefighters in the event of post-earthquake fire. Canadians and people elsewhere in the world, particularly those in seismic regions, will benefit from having significantly safer building environments in which to live and work. Considering the high catastrophic consequences of fire following earthquakes, research concerning the design of mid-rise CFS buildings to guard against post-earthquake fire is imperative and far overdue in Canada. This research will develop HQPs with the skills required to address technical and social challenges of significant importance to the life, safety and property of Canadians.