Rectification of "restrained vs unrestrained". (10th January 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: LaMalva, Kevin; Bisby, Luke; Gales, John; Gernay, Thomas; Hantouche, Elie; Jones, Cliff; Morovat, Ali; Solomon, Robert; Torero, Jose
• Other Names: Gales John Adam guestEditor.; Janssens Marc L. guestEditor.
• Is Part Of: Fire and materials. Volume 44:Number 3(2020)
• Page Start: 341
• Page End: 351
• Publication Date: 2020-01-10
• Subjects: prescriptive method -- restrained -- standard fire resistance design -- structural fire engineering -- structural fire protection -- thermal restraint -- unrestrained; Fire-testing -- Periodicals; Fire -- Periodicals; Materials -- Periodicals; 620.11217
• DOI: 10.1002/fam.2771
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0308-0501

Abstract

Summary: For furnace testing of fire‐resistant floor and roof assemblies in the United States, the ASTM E 119 standard (and similarly the UL 263 standard) permits two classifications for boundary conditions: "restrained" and "unrestrained." When incorporating tested assemblies into an actual structural system, the designer, oftentimes a fire protection or structural engineer, must judge whether a "restrained" or "unrestrained" classification is appropriate for the application. It is critical that this assumption be carefully considered and understood, as many qualified listings permit a lesser thickness of applied fire protection for steel structures (or less concrete cover for concrete structures) to achieve a certain fire resistance rating if a "restrained" classification is confirmed, as compared with an "unrestrained" classification. The emerging standardization of structural fire engineering practice in the United States will disrupt century‐long norms in the manner to which structural behavior in fire is addressed. For instance, the current edition of the ASCE/SEI 7 standard will greatly impact how designers consider restraint. Accordingly, this paper serves as an exposé of the "restrained vs unrestrained" paradigm in terms of its paradoxical nature and its controversial impact on the industry. More importantly, potential solutions toward industry rectification are provided for the first time in a contemporary study of this paradigm.