Structural performance of light-frame wood buildings subjected to post-earthquake fire exposure

Timber structures are constructed widely in North America for different usage like residential, commercial and industrial. As wood is a combustible careful attention must be given to the fire safety design of these structures. In a strong earthquake a timber structure may suffer significant damages to the structural and fire protection systems. The Post Earthquake Fire (PEF), which may be caused many factors including gas line leakage and electrical short circuiting, will find a weaker structure whose fire resistance of the new structure may be greatly reduced. An analytical model is developed for determining the PEF fire resistance of stud walls considering the temperature dependent material properties and charring of wood elements. The model is validated with some available experimental studies and found to be quite accurate. It is found that the PEF resistance of a stud wall is reduced considerably even due to a moderate level of damage.