Fire Engineering and Applications to Industrial Plant Accidents

Fires represents a significant hazard for structures. Indeed, by exposing structures to elevated temperature, the thermal impact of a fire may significantly affect their load-bearing capacity owing to material degradation. On these premises, steel structures are sensitive to the fire hazard because of high thermal conductivity and small cross-section thicknesses that entail quick temperature rise in the profiles with consequent fast loss of strength and stiffness. Since structures are for their nature loaded, consequently, fire can trigger a structural collapse. Among the most exposed to fire events, there are industrial facilities/plants that treat/stock hazardous and flammable materials and high-rise building dedicated to offices, dwellings and hotels, presenting important fire loads. These structures present higher ignition probabilities due to their function and occupancy.