Fire protection of high-rise steel buildings

In the event that a fire occurs in a high-rise building, the only way to ensure the complete safety of all its occupants is by conducting a full-scale evacuation. However, because the primary evacuation systems in most high-rise buildings today are inadequate, this task can be dangerous and problematic. This paper summarizes activities, conclusions, and recommendations on fire protection of structural steel in high-rise buildings. It includes an overview of existing, new, and potential materials and technologies for fire protection of structural steel. The paper also provides an overview of the current fire protection requirements for building construction, and a discussion of appropriate test methods to evaluate endurance performance of structural steel. Recommendations are developed to improve structural design methodology; improve testing procedures for fire resistive materials, and increase responsibility by building maintenance personnel for sustaining the technologies that constitute the fire protection system.