EQUFIRE

SERA The Seismology and Earthquake Engineering Research Infrastructure Alliance for Europe (SERA), funded within the Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme of the European Commission under grant agreement no. 730900 

Fires following earthquake (FFE) are a considerable threat, this is particularly relevant for steel structures, as the high thermal conductivity leads to a quick temperature rise with consequent fast loss of strength and stiffness. Therefore, an enhanced fire performance can be required in seismic-prone regions and no guidelines are currently available in European standards. The EQUFIRE project studied the response of structural and non-structural components to fire following earthquake scenarios, with a view to improving existing design guidelines and future standards. The project studied a three-bay by three-bay steel structure with four storeys. The lateral bays (in both directions) were 5 m wide, while the central bay hosting the concentric bracing was 2.5 m wide. The inter-storey height was 3 m, with exception of the first floor, the height of which equalled 3.6 m. The experimental activities at the ELSA Reaction Wall included pseudo-dynamic tests on a full-scale specimen of the first storey of the building, while the upper three storeys were numerically simulated. The aim was to study the response of the structure and fire protection elements, including their interaction, under the design earthquake and for different configurations. Four specimen configurations were taken into consideration: bare frame without fire protection, and frame with three alternative fire protection solutions (conventional, seismic-resistant boards, and vermiculite sprayed coating) applied on the bracing and one column. The dataset gathers the signals recorded during the experimental campaign performed at JRC-ELSA.