Towards a performance based fire design framework for resilient composite steel deck construction in Canada

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Traditional structural design for fire safety of composite steel deck construction in Canada is prescriptive. This design procedure relies on simplification with isolated building components being designed based on implicit fire relations. In light of advances globally, this design procedure can be viewed as restrictive, under-utilizing of structural materials, wasteful of fire protection material, and even at times unsafe. The Performance Based Fire Design (PBFD) methodology relies on the fire and structure interface being rationally understood. The current building codes for composite steel deck construction in Canada are written to allow alternative solution designs for fire safety in structures under the objective based code. However, there is little guidance for the practitioner on how to interpret and formulate an alternative fire design solution for composite steel deck construction, sound experimentation to assist numerical validation, and very little information which can be used to demonstrate the resiliency of steel construction in fire. The goal of this research is to develop novel structural fire design guidance for the Canadian consultancy practitioner to follow for the safe, resilient, and economical design of composite steel deck construction. This will be a collaboration with the key stakeholders in the Canadian steel industry: Carleton University; Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC), and Entuitive. CISC is a reputable organization which supports structural steel organisations in Canada; while Entuitive is a design consultancy firm with focus on steel construction. The overarching objectives of the research are to: (1) explore sub-issues with current fire design methodologies in use in Canada; (2) with experimentation, assess and study the structural fire resiliency behavior of steel construction; (3) develop, and publish alternative structural design solutions for steel frame and composite deck systems for use in Canada to advance best practice and competency with validated numerical modelling supported by novel experimentation at Carleton University and abroad; and (4) help establish input for an appropriate framework for PBFD for consideration into future Canadian codes and standards.