Proposal of a Fire Loading Curve for Engineering Structures Subjected to Grassland Fires

With the increasing incidence of wildland fires due to climate change, it is imperative to strengthen engineering infrastructures in wildland–urban interface (WUI) areas to withstand this growing threat. Current design standards and codes for infrastructure have limitations when considering the potential risks posed by wildland fires. The proposal of a generalized fire loading curve is crucial for designing and analyzing structures under wildfire scenarios. Stimulated by these engineering requirements, a performance-based fire loading curve is proposed herein for engineering structures subjected to grassland fires. Based on the proposed basic form of the fire loading curve, an optimization program is established to determine the involved parameters. This optimization program aims to provide a comprehensive curve that encompasses observations from in situ experimental records or numerical simulations, minimizing redundancy and precisely capturing critical quantities such as the maximum temperature magnitude and the time at which it is reached. In addition, the proposed fire loading curve exhibits great compatibility with varying fuel properties, including fuel density, fuel load, fuel moisture, and different species of grasses.