Rectification of “restrained vs unrestrained” |
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Authors: | Kevin LaMalva Luke Bisby John Gales Thomas Gernay Elie Hantouche Cliff Jones Ali Morovat Robert Solomon Jose Torero |
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Affiliation: | 1. Structural Mechanics Division, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc, Waltham, Massachusetts;2. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK;3. Department of Civil Engineering, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;4. Department of Civil and Systems Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland;5. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon;6. Global Security Division, Facebook Inc, Menlo Park, California;7. Structural Engineering Division, Thornton Tomasetti, New York, New York;8. Codes & Standards Division, National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, Massachusetts;9. Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University College London, London, UK |
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Abstract: | For furnace testing of fire-resistant floor and roof assemblies in the United States, the ASTM E 119 standard (and similarly the UL 263 standard) permits two classifications for boundary conditions: “restrained” and “unrestrained.” When incorporating tested assemblies into an actual structural system, the designer, oftentimes a fire protection or structural engineer, must judge whether a “restrained” or “unrestrained” classification is appropriate for the application. It is critical that this assumption be carefully considered and understood, as many qualified listings permit a lesser thickness of applied fire protection for steel structures (or less concrete cover for concrete structures) to achieve a certain fire resistance rating if a “restrained” classification is confirmed, as compared with an “unrestrained” classification. The emerging standardization of structural fire engineering practice in the United States will disrupt century-long norms in the manner to which structural behavior in fire is addressed. For instance, the current edition of the ASCE/SEI 7 standard will greatly impact how designers consider restraint. Accordingly, this paper serves as an exposé of the “restrained vs unrestrained” paradigm in terms of its paradoxical nature and its controversial impact on the industry. More importantly, potential solutions toward industry rectification are provided for the first time in a contemporary study of this paradigm. |
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