This is an abridged syllabus. You can access the complete syllabus in your Canvas course.

565.736.81 - Structural Fire Engineering

Civil Engineering

Spring 2024

Description

This course will discuss the analysis and design of structures exposed to fire. It will cover the fundamentals of fire behavior, heat transfer, the effects of fire loading on materials and structural systems, and the principles and design methods for fire resistance design. Particular emphasis will be placed on the advanced modeling and computational tools for performance-based design. Applications of innovative methods for fire resistance design in large structural engineering projects, such as stadiums and tall buildings, will also be presented.

Instructor

Thomas Gernay

tgernay@jhu.edu

Course Structure

The course materials are divided into modules which can be accessed by clicking Modules on the course menu. A module will have several sections including the overview, content, readings, discussions, and assignments. You are encouraged to preview all sections of the module before starting. Most modules run for a period of seven (7) days, exceptions (if any) are noted in the Course Outline. You should regularly check the Calendar and Announcements for assignment due dates.

Course Topics

Introduction and history of structural fire engineering
Fire resistance concept
Mechanics of fire development
Fire models and thermal actions on structural members
Mechanical actions in the fire situation
Heat transfer
Material behavior at high temperature
Structural mechanics at high temperature
Structural design of steel elements for fire resistance
Structural design of concrete elements for fire resistance
Advanced computational methods for thermal-structural analysis
Structural design of timber elements for fire resistance
Passive fire protection of steel structures
Tensile membrane action in composite steel-concrete structures
Robustness and resilience in fire design
Worked examples of structural fire engineering studies

Course Goals

To describe and evaluate the thermal exposure conditions generated by a fire in a building and the thermal and mechanical response of the structure under these conditions and then apply that knowledge to design structural members in steel, concrete, and timber to perform adequately in the fire situation.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)

Interpret the intentions of code requirements for fire safety and explain the concept of fire resistance
Describe the mechanics of fire ignition, growth, and spread and apply models providing time-temperature curves for fully developed compartment fires
Quantify the effects of fire on material properties and on forces in structural systems
Analyze and design simple steel, concrete, and timber elements in the fire situation
Apply a finite element software for thermal and mechanical analysis of simple structures

Textbooks

Not required

Other Materials & Online Resources

Optional
Any of the following texts, while not required, may be useful for this course:

A. Buchanan and A. Abu, Structural Design for Fire Safety, John Wiley & Sons (2017).
J.-M. Franssen, V. Kodur, and R. Zaharia, Designing Steel Structures for Fire Safety, CRC Press (2009).
K. LaMalva, D. Hopkin (eds) International Handbook of Structural Fire Engineering. The Society of Fire Protection Engineers Series. Springer, Cham (2021).

Required Software

The following software packages, available for free online, will be required. Information to access these software will be provided through Canvas. Use of these software packages requires a computer with a Windows operating system.

OZone
GmSAFIR
SAFIR – demonstration version
DIAMOND

Additionally, you may find useful to use Matlab for some assignments, although it is not required. Excel or Python can equally be used. If you wish to access to MATLAB, a license is provided at no cost to you, through JHU.

Visit the JHU IT Services Portal. Log in with your JHED ID and type “Matlab” in the search bar. Click on “Matlab for Students” in the search results and follow the instructions provided.

Student Coursework Requirements

It is expected that each module will take approximately 7–10 hours per week to complete. Here is an approximate breakdown: listening to the audio annotated slide presentations (approximately 3 hours per week); writing assignments and working on the discussions/projects (approximately 4–7 hours per week).

This course will consist of the following basic student requirements:

Preparation and Participation to Discussions (15% of Final Grade Calculation)

You are responsible for carefully reading all assigned material, listening to the audio annotated slide presentations, and being prepared for discussion.

Expectations for the discussions are:

Discussions are open for 7 days from the day they are open. Discussions will be on Canvas discussion tool.
You are each expected to post (at least) twice for each discussion. Post your initial response to the discussion questions by the evening of day 3 for that module week. Posting a response to the discussion question is part of your grade for module discussions (i.e., Timeliness).
Your posts should be connected to previous posts by your peers, while bringing something new to the table. Just posting your response to a discussion question is not sufficient; we want you to interact with your classmates. Be detailed in your postings and in your responses to your classmates' postings. Posts should be a minimum of 100 words and follow appropriate writing conventions. Feel free to agree or disagree with your classmates. Please ensure that your postings are civil and constructive. Your interaction, i.e., responding to classmate postings with thoughtful responses, is part of your grade for module discussions (i.e., Critical Thinking).
To make the discussion lively, you are encouraged to broaden the topic, and ask thought-provoking questions.

Evaluation of preparation and participation is based on contribution to discussions.

Preparation and participation is evaluated by the following grading elements:

Timeliness (50%)

Critical Thinking (50%)

Preparation and participation is graded as follows:

100–90 = A—Timeliness [regularly participates; all required postings; early in discussion; throughout the discussion]; Critical Thinking [rich in content; full of thoughts, insight, and analysis; appropriate writing style].
89–80 = B—Timeliness [frequently participates; all required postings; some not in time for others to read and respond]; Critical Thinking [substantial information; thought, insight, and analysis has taken place; appropriate writing style].
79–70 = C—Timeliness [infrequently participates; all required postings; most at the last minute without allowing for response time]; Critical Thinking [generally competent; information is thin and commonplace].
<70 = F—Timeliness [rarely participates; some, or all required postings missing]; Critical Thinking [rudimentary and superficial; no analysis or insight is displayed].

Assignments (50% of Final Grade Calculation)

Include a cover sheet with your name and assignment identifier. Also include your name and a page number indicator (i.e., page x of y) on each page of your submissions. Each problem should have the problem statement, assumptions, computations, and conclusions/discussion delineated. All Figures and Tables should be captioned and labeled appropriately.

All assignments are due according to the dates in the Calendar.

Late submissions will be reduced by one letter grade for each week late (no exceptions without prior coordination with the instructors).

Assignments are evaluated by the following grading elements:

Each part of question is answered (20%)
Assumptions are clearly stated (20%)
Intermediate derivations and calculations are provided (25%)
Answer is technically correct and is clearly indicated (25%)
Answer precision and units are appropriate (10%)

Assignments are graded as follows:

100–90 = A—All parts of question are addressed; All assumptions are clearly stated; All intermediate derivations and calculations are provided; Answer is technically correct and is clearly indicated; Answer precision and units are appropriate.
89–80 = B—All parts of question are addressed; All assumptions are clearly stated; Some intermediate derivations and calculations are provided; Answer is technically correct and is indicated; Answer precision and units are appropriate.
79–70=C—Most parts of question are addressed; Assumptions are partially stated; Few intermediate derivations and calculations are provided; Answer is not technically correct but is indicated; Answer precision and units are indicated but inappropriate.
<70=F—Some parts of the question are addressed; Assumptions are not stated; Intermediate derivations and calculations are not provided; The answer is incorrect or missing; The answer precision and units are inappropriate or missing.

Case Study (15% of Final Grade Calculation)

A case study project will be assigned early into the course. The case study is a group project. The case study will be presented (video presentation supported by a PowerPoint type visual support) several weeks into the course; refer to the course outline and schedule for details of the planning.

The case study project is evaluated and graded considering the following rubric:

Criteria	Needs improvement 1 point	Satisfactory 2 points	Good 3 points	Excellent 4 points
Identification of main issues and context associated with the fire event	Identifies and explains few of the issues in the case study	Identifies and explains some of the issues in the case study	Identifies and explains most of the issues in the case study	Identifies and explains all of the main issues in the case study
Analysis of the fire event and structure’s response	Incomplete analysis of the fire event and structure’s response	Superficial analysis or only analyzes some of the aspects	Thorough analysis of most aspects of the fire event and structure’s response	Insightful and thorough analysis of all main aspects of the fire event and structure’s response
Comments on effective solutions/strategies, lessons learned, and role of SFE	Little or no action suggested, and/or inappropriate solutions	Superficial and/or inappropriate solutions to the issues and/or not all issues addressed	Appropriate, well-thought-out comments about solutions to most of the issues	Well-documented, well-reasoned, and appropriate comments on solutions to issues
Effective oral presentation	Inadequate slide deck for the audience, lack of information or presence of major errors, poor delivery	Suboptimal slide deck for the audience and/or some errors in the content and/or fair delivery	Appropriate, clear, and detailed slide deck, good delivery	Polished, detailed, and professional slide deck; engaging delivery and strong command of the work

Course Project (20% of Final Grade Calculation)

A course project will be assigned several weeks into the course. This is an individual project. A technical report and video presentation will be due the last week of the course.

The course project is evaluated and graded considering the following rubric:

Criteria	Needs improvement 1 point	Satisfactory 2 points	Good 3 points	Excellent 4 points
Problem understanding and approach/methods adopted	Poor understanding of the issues in the project and/or inadequate approach to solve the problem	Fair understanding of the issues in the project, suboptimal approach to solve the problem	Good understanding of the issues in the project, adequate approach to solve the problem	Excellent understanding of the issues in the project, creative and insightful approach to solve the problem
Analyses and results	Incomplete analysis of the problem and/or inadequate application of the analysis methods, poor results	Superficial analysis and/or some major errors in the application of the analysis methods, satisfactory results	Thorough analysis of most aspects of the problem, correct application of the analysis methods, good results	Insightful and thorough analysis of all main aspects of the problem, sounds analyses and reliable results
Discussions and interpretation of results	Little or no discussion on the results, and/or inappropriate interpretation	Superficial discussions on the results and/or not all outcomes addressed	Appropriate, well-thought-out comments about the implications of the results	Well-documented, well-reasoned, and appropriate comments on the implications of the results
Effective oral presentation	Inadequate slide deck for the audience, lack of information or presence of major errors, poor delivery	Suboptimal slide deck for the audience and/or some errors in the content and/or fair delivery	Appropriate, clear, and detailed slide deck, good delivery	Polished, detailed, and professional slide deck; engaging delivery and strong command of the work
Effective writing communication	Inadequate written report in terms of structure and/or layout and/or writing conventions; insufficient analyses and/or presence of major errors.	Fair written report in terms of structure and/or layout and/or writing conventions; superficial analyses and/or presence of some errors	Appropriate, well-structured written report, good quality of writing, sound presentation of the analyses	Polished, detailed, and professional report; clear and sound presentation of the analyses and final products

Grading Policy

EP uses a +/- grading system (see “Grading System”, Graduate Programs catalog, p. 10).

Score Range	Letter Grade
100-97	= A+
96-93	= A
92-90	= A−
89-87	= B+
86-83	= B
82-80	= B−
79-77	= C+
76-73	= C
72-70	= C−
69-67	= D+
66-63	= D
<63	= F

Final grades will be determined by the following weighting:

Item	% of Grade
Preparation and Participation	15%
Assignments	50%
Case Study	15%
Course Project	20%

Academic Policies

Deadlines for Adding, Dropping and Withdrawing from Courses

Students may add a course up to one week after the start of the term for that particular course. Students may drop courses according to the drop deadlines outlined in the EP academic calendar (https://ep.jhu.edu/student-services/academic-calendar/). Between the 6th week of the class and prior to the final withdrawal deadline, a student may withdraw from a course with a W on their academic record. A record of the course will remain on the academic record with a W appearing in the grade column to indicate that the student registered and withdrew from the course.

Academic Misconduct Policy

All students are required to read, know, and comply with the Johns Hopkins University Krieger School of Arts and Sciences (KSAS) / Whiting School of Engineering (WSE) Procedures for Handling Allegations of Misconduct by Full-Time and Part-Time Graduate Students.

This policy prohibits academic misconduct, including but not limited to the following: cheating or facilitating cheating; plagiarism; reuse of assignments; unauthorized collaboration; alteration of graded assignments; and unfair competition. Course materials (old assignments, texts, or examinations, etc.) should not be shared unless authorized by the course instructor. Any questions related to this policy should be directed to EP’s academic integrity officer at ep-academic-integrity@jhu.edu.

Students with Disabilities - Accommodations and Accessibility

Johns Hopkins University values diversity and inclusion. We are committed to providing welcoming, equitable, and accessible educational experiences for all students. Students with disabilities (including those with psychological conditions, medical conditions and temporary disabilities) can request accommodations for this course by providing an Accommodation Letter issued by Student Disability Services (SDS). Please request accommodations for this course as early as possible to provide time for effective communication and arrangements.

For further information or to start the process of requesting accommodations, please contact Student Disability Services at Engineering for Professionals, ep-disability-svcs@jhu.edu.

Student Conduct Code

The fundamental purpose of the JHU regulation of student conduct is to promote and to protect the health, safety, welfare, property, and rights of all members of the University community as well as to promote the orderly operation of the University and to safeguard its property and facilities. As members of the University community, students accept certain responsibilities which support the educational mission and create an environment in which all students are afforded the same opportunity to succeed academically.

For a full description of the code please visit the following website: https://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/policies-guidelines/student-code/

Classroom Climate

JHU is committed to creating a classroom environment that values the diversity of experiences and perspectives that all students bring. Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect. Fostering an inclusive climate is important. Research and experience show that students who interact with peers who are different from themselves learn new things and experience tangible educational outcomes. At no time in this learning process should someone be singled out or treated unequally on the basis of any seen or unseen part of their identity.

If you have concerns in this course about harassment, discrimination, or any unequal treatment, or if you seek accommodations or resources, please reach out to the course instructor directly. Reporting will never impact your course grade. You may also share concerns with your program chair, the Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, or the Office of Institutional Equity. In handling reports, people will protect your privacy as much as possible, but faculty and staff are required to officially report information for some cases (e.g. sexual harassment).

Course Auditing

When a student enrolls in an EP course with “audit” status, the student must reach an understanding with the instructor as to what is required to earn the “audit.” If the student does not meet those expectations, the instructor must notify the EP Registration Team [EP-Registration@exchange.johnshopkins.edu] in order for the student to be retroactively dropped or withdrawn from the course (depending on when the "audit" was requested and in accordance with EP registration deadlines). All lecture content will remain accessible to auditing students, but access to all other course material is left to the discretion of the instructor.