Abstract:
Structures need to be designed so that they can withstand everyday loads in an optimised manner. Structures are also expected to attain an adequate level of performance when exerted by extreme events such as high velocity winds, seismic loads, fires, etc. In addition, it is expected that these structures will be robust and resilient allowing them to respond safely to solicitations outside the design bounds and to recover their functionality rapidly from any challenging event. The introduction of new materials or products require revisiting the manner in which structures are designed, this is particularly the case when the drivers behind the use of these materials or products do not emphasize structural performance. In this case, designers need to respond in a holistic manner to deliver effective structures while responding to drivers that might be stronger than those governing structural design. The use of mass timber in complex buildings is one of those cases where drivers such as environmental, financial, aesthetic, user experience, etc. all need to be considered in conjunction with structural requirements. This presentation will explore structural design using mass timber in a holistic manner. It catalogues the different variables affecting building design and extracts the key variables to be considered. Through this process it is established that the safe performance of the structure in fire is the variable that controls the design decisions. This presentation finishes by proposing a methodology to design mass timber structures in a manner that delivers an adequate fire safety performance while all other design variables are considered.
Bio:
Professor José L. Torero is Professor Civil Engineering and Head of the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering at University College London. He works in the field of fire safety where he specialises in complex environments such as complex urban environments, novel architectures, new construction materials, critical infrastructure, aircraft and spacecraft. José is a Chartered Engineer (UK), a Registered Professional Engineer in Queensland, a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (UK), The Royal Society of Edinburgh (UK), The Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering, the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (USA), the Institution of Fire Engineers (UK) and the Institution of Civil Engineers (UK).
Open to all. Attendees external to Imperial need to register by email.
Time: 2:00 pm