As a result of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, building design professionals in the US are increasingly being asked to design buildings, bridges and other structures for hazards that were not considered just five years ago. One of these newly-recognized hazards is fire. The formal investigation of the collapse of the World Trade Center (FEMA 2002) identified a number of critical concerns within the engineering community because insufficient information was available to predict the response of structures during a fire. Engineers need to conduct more research to understand how structural components and systems behave at elevated temperatures. The equipment requested in this proposal will be an important resource for meeting the basic research needs.
The proposed facility includes four primary components: (1) three closed-loop test frames, (2) two high temperature furnaces, (3) a digital control system, and (4) a hydraulic power supply. The facility was designed to test a variety of specimens ranging from small-scale material coupons to full-scale structural connections, a variety of loading histories ranging from static to impulsive, and a variety of thermal profiles from isothermal to temperature gradients and simulated fire histories. Basic material tests can be performed in the small load frame to evaluate the behavior and suitability of existing and new materials for use in buildings exposed to fires. New materials such as FRP and thermo-mechanically processed steel can be evaluated. The two larger load frames and large furnace provide the ability to test structural assemblages and connections. The proposed facility is unique within the US and provides unparalleled capabilities for high-temperature testing. The facility is not restricted to conducting standard code-based fire tests. The proposed facility will provide the basis for the development of rational design specifications and introduction of new building materials to reduce the hazards in a fire.
The broader impacts of the proposed facility extend far beyond the acquisition of equipment. The proposed facility will greatly enhance the educational capabilities within the Departments of Civil and Mechanical Engineering and will complement on-going efforts within the College of Engineering to develop a multidisciplinary research thrust in the area of fire-structure interaction. Research results will be integrated into graduate and undergraduate courses in Architectural, Civil, and Mechanical Engineering. Undergraduate students in the structural design courses will be introduced to large-scale testing and research opportunities through laboratory demonstrations that compare the behavior of structural components at room and elevated temperatures. Faculty members associated with the proposed facility currently serve on specification committees for steel, concrete, masonry, wood, and fire protection which provide an avenue for the dissemination of the research results to the engineering community and ultimately into the design specifications and model building codes used in throughout the US.
