Thermal analysis of timber cross-sections via CS-ASA/FA

Resumo

When exposed to high temperatures, such as in a fire situation, the physical and resistance characteristics
of the materials employed in the structure deteriorate as the temperature increases. This fact promotes a
considerable loss in the bearing capacity and stiffness of the structural system. The verification of a structure
exposed to fire depends primarily and principally on the thermal analysis of the cross-section of the structural
element. This analysis permits the determination of the temperature variation or temperature range in the element
from the boundary conditions provided by the fire model adopted. Timber, being an anisotropic material, with
irregular fibers, presence of knots and flammable, and widely used in civil construction, becomes a target for the
study of realistic behavior in fire. As such, this study has the objective of performing a thermal analysis in a
transient regime utilizing the finite element method on timber cross-sections that are employed in civil construction
through use of the Computational System for Advanced Structural Analysis/Fire Analysis (CS-ASA/FA module).
Two cross-sections were analyzed, and the results obtained were very satisfactory. Therefore, it is possible to
conclude that the CS-ASA/FA module can yield the necessary information when a thermo-structural analysis is
performed for the evaluation of strength and stiffness losses of the structural material when exposed to fire.