Travelling fire and its application to structural fire analysis

Accidental fires in large compartments have demonstrated that fires do not burn uniformly across an entire enclosure but instead travel progressively across the floor plate. Traditional fire assessment methods, which assume simultaneous burning and homogeneous temperature distributions, are often inadequate for representing the complex fire dynamics in large, open-plan spaces. Such conventional methods may underestimate the impact of travelling fires, which can significantly impact the performance of a structure during a fire. As a result, these traditional methodologies may not capture the worst-case scenario in large compartments, potentially leading to underestimations of the structural demands imposed by a fire event. The travelling fire methodology addresses this limitation by providing a more realistic approach for predicting fire conditions in large-open compartments. By accounting for the spatial progression of fire and temperature variability, this method offers a more accurate representation of the heat exposure that a structure may endure during a fire. This study investigates the travelling fire concept, comparing it to traditional methodologies through a case study, to demonstrate its effectiveness in providing a comprehensive assessment of structural performance under more realistic fire conditions in large compartments. Similarly, the challenges and limitations of the travelling fire methodology are discussed during this study.