NIST Performance-based Design for Structures in Fire
NIST research aims to create performance-based design tools for fire-resistant steel & concrete structures, using experimental data & models to improve safety & cost-effectiveness.
This grant is no longer accepting proposals
NRC Research Associateship Programs has archived this opportunity.
Funder: NRC Research Associateship Programs
Due Dates: February 1, 2025 | May 1, 2025 (closed) | August 1, 2025
Funding Amounts: $82,764 stipend plus $3,000 travel allowance; typical appointment duration 2 years.
Summary: Postdoctoral fellowship at NIST to develop performance-based design tools for steel and reinforced concrete structures exposed to fire, leveraging experimental data and computational modeling to improve structural fire safety and cost-effectiveness.
Key Information: Open to U.S. citizens with a doctoral degree earned within the last 5 years; requires contacting a NIST research adviser prior to application; applications reviewed in February and August cycles only.
Description
This fellowship opportunity at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) focuses on advancing structural fire safety through the development of performance-based design tools for steel and reinforced concrete structural systems exposed to fire. The research aims to integrate fire as a design condition within the building design process, enabling risk-consistent and cost-effective structural designs.
The project utilizes experimental data from the National Fire Research Laboratory (NFRL), a unique facility that allows for testing real-scale structures under realistic fire and mechanical loading conditions in a controlled laboratory environment.
Key research areas include:
- Development and validation of nonlinear computational thermal and structural models that account for temperature-dependent reductions in material strength and stiffness, as well as thermally-induced load effects.
- Characterization of temperature-dependent behavior of materials and connectors (including bolts and welds), and creation of simplified yet accurate modeling approaches for components and connections.
- Quantification and propagation of modeling uncertainties from fire simulation through thermal and structural analyses.
This research supports the creation of tools that improve safety and cost efficiency in structural fire design.
