The National Research Council of Canada's Institute for Research in Construction is developing a new approach to determine whether building structures meet the code requirements.
Traditionally elements such as beams and columns have been tested separately from other structural elements and using a constant load. The problem is that during a fire the load on these elements increases. Furthermore, research has shown that the individual elements suffer from lateral deformation due to thermal expansion in the floors. These effects are not considered in the present test method.
Using computer simulations, the new research will consider the effects on a whole building, rather than individual elements. The research will start with reinforced concrete columns, taking into account the effect of the structural system, thermal expansion and lateral loads. Dr. Hossein Mostafaei is leading the project at NRC/IRC in Ottawa.