Numerical simulation of fire hazard analysis and fire resistance evaluation of a traditional timber lounge bridge
Abstract
Abstract This paper presents the results of a numerical simulation of fire hazard analysis and fire resistance evaluation for a traditional timber lounge bridge—Dengyun Bridge. Fire dynamics analysis was first conducted to obtain the temperature–time curves and to investigate the evolution of fire spread. Subsequently, structural–thermal coupling analysis was performed to determine the charring depth of the primary timber members. Finally, structural safety was evaluated using the effective cross-sectional method, taking into account the calculated charring depths. The fire dynamics analysis indicated that the temperatures directly above the fire source increased rapidly during the initial stage, and the rate of increase was higher than that of the commonly used ISO 834 temperature–time curve. Five minutes after ignition, smoke had spread throughout the entire bridge structure; after 20 min, the whole structure had entered a state of full combustion. Thermal analysis showed that the charring depth above the fire source was significantly greater than that below it. When the fire exposure time reached 20 min, the maximum deflection reached 39.69 mm ( D/L = 1/250), which was very close to the limit specified in the current design code. Therefore, it is essential to implement effective fire detection and protection measures for Dengyun Bridge, given the short failure time under realistic fire conditions.
Reference
Mingqian Wang; Lingzhu Chen; Qingfeng Xu; Qing Chun; Yubing Leng; Xi Chen. (2026). Numerical simulation of fire hazard analysis and fire resistance evaluation of a traditional timber lounge bridge. Journal of Wood Science. https://doi.org/10.1186/s10086-026-02282-9
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