Design of masonry walls in situations of fire: a contribution for a future Brazilian standard

Abstract

In Brazil, there is no standard regarding the design of masonry walls in fire situations. According to the Fire Department of the state of São Paulo (2011), either the Eurocode 6 (2005) or an equally recognized international Standard should be used in such a situation. In this article, design specifications for masonry walls in situation of fire are presented, according to the standard requirements in the United States of America, Europe and Australia. One might question the applicability of these codes in the Brazilian context, due to the different materials the structural units are made of and the rendering applied on the walls. Taking that into account, we suggest that the applicable elements of the three international standards should be gradually integrated into the development of a Brazilian standard.

Keywords:
Masonry; Fire; Standard; Fire resistance