Structural fire protection

Lenz Weber Engineers has in-depth experience with the computer-aided simulation/analysis of the characteristics of building components during a fire, as well as with fire protection engineering methods.

Together with leading engineering firms and research institutes, we are a founding member of a network specialized in the computer-aided analysis of the characteristics of load-bearing structures i.e. building components during a fire.

The introduction of European fire standards (EC1-EC6 and EC9 Parts 1-2) also laid the foundation for analyzing load-bearing structures and/or individual building components during a fire in Germany. The EC 1 1-2 contains parameter-dependent fire stresses (fire scenarios, cellulosic fires)

European standardization has thus also paved the way for the building authorities in Germany to approve engineering methods which link structural with preventative fire protection. Computer-aided simulations allow wide-span steel roofing systems, industrial buildings and venues for events to be built from steel without heat-retardant coating. Wooden buildings can also be analyzed.

We always cross-check our analyses/simulations with the latest international research results and collaborate closely with the corresponding fire safety experts – especially when we are dealing with special-purpose buildings.

The simulation of the characteristics of building components during a fire is based on the laws of physics with regard to heat conduction, heat storage and the behavior of building materials when exposed to heat. The outcomes from fire tests have helped verify the computer-aided, numerical calculation methods which have been extrapolated from these laws.

STRUCTURAL FIRE PROTECTION

We plan and calculate structural fire protection for new buildings, retrofits and conversions, while collaborating closely with independent fire protection experts. When planning structural fire protection, we focus in particular on the careful design of bearings and on the impact of linear expansions which ensue when building components heat up during a fire.

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