Post-Earthquake Fire Assessment of Buildings

Prepared by the Post-Earthquake Fire Hazard Task Group of the Fire Protection Committee of the Structural Engineering Institute of ASCEPost-Earthquake Fire Assessment of Buildings: Evaluation Framework presents background for the analysis, design, and assessment of building structural systems under fire following earthquakes and intends to provide guidance based on current state-of-the-art practices, applicable building codes, and outcomes of experimental and numerical research results. Topics include Documented observations during historic post-earthquake fires, Statistics of the number of ignitions following a sample of past earthquakes, Causes of ignition, Damage to passive and active fire protection systems inside a building, Application of performance-based design methodology to fire following earthquakes, Dependency of fire department response on the level of damage to community infrastructure for successful suppression of fires, Potential for fire spread between buildings, and Recommendations and factors that should be considered when assessing or designing for fire following earthquakes. This book will benefit practitioners from the fields of structural engineering and the nuclear industry, as well as first responders, building authorities, risk management, and insurance professionals.