Title: Critical analysis of the use of international codes and standards to design Brazilian structural masonry in fire situation

Authors: Wallison Angelim Medeiros; Guilherme A. Parsekian; Armando Lopes Moreno Jr.

Addresses: Department of Civil Engineering, Federal University of São Carlos, KM 235 Washington Luís Rd, São Carlos, SP 13565-905, Brazil ' Department of Civil Engineering, Federal University of São Carlos, KM 235 Washington Luís Rd, São Carlos, SP 13565-905, Brazil ' Department of Civil Engineering, University of Campinas, 224 Saturnino de Brito St, Campinas, SP 13083-889, Brazil

Abstract: In Brazil, structural masonry is widely used in the construction of tall buildings. As the country does not have its own standard for masonry in a fire situation, the Fire Department recommends that the design of masonry structures in a fire situation be carried out in accordance with the instructions of Eurocode or similar international standard. This article critically analyses the adoption of design procedures in use in the USA, Australia and Europe for a typical Brazilian masonry structure, verifying the applicability of these codes and taking into account the differences in aggregates used in blocks and finishes, aiming to support discussions on Brazilian standardisation, in addition to comparing the different ways of approaching each standard. The results showed that it is possible to use international codes, but their use will not always portray the real situation, requiring the sector and the technical-scientific community urgently unite to address this issue.

Keywords: masonry; structures; design; fire; standards; codes; tall buildings; standardisation; fire situation; Brazil.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMRI.2021.116202

International Journal of Masonry Research and Innovation, 2021 Vol.6 No.3, pp.285 - 304

Received: 20 May 2020
Accepted: 29 Jul 2020
Published online: 13 Jul 2021 *

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