Coupled CFD-FE simulations of fire intervention in large structures

Long span structures made of steel have become popular over the years in the construction industry due to the economic feasibility of this material. The open frame construction with suitable ventilation and high fire load leads to the possibility of travelling fires in these structures. This work investigates the feasibility of using coupled CFD-FE simulations to aid the planning of fire intervention tactics and the effectiveness of structural cooling approach during firefighting. The water sprays used for firefighting was characterized using bucket tests and validated using FDS. The cooling ability of the water sprays was studied by applying the water sprays to a fire exposed steel beam and the CFD-FE coupling was validated using these tests. The validated method was used to simulate the fire intervention of a travelling fire scenario in a warehouse with exposed steel trusses. Subsequently, stress analyses of the cooled and uncooled trusses were performed, and deformation behaviour was studied. The results show that the CFDFE coupling provides a safe and reliable methodology for studying the influence of fire and the fire intervention tactics on structural elements.