WINDSOR HOTEL MADRID
Franco Bontempi
Ordinariodi TecnicadelleCostruzioni
Facolta’ di IngegneriaCivilee Industriale
Sapienza Universita’ di Roma [email protected]
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THE STRUCTURE
Context
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Built during 70’s
Offices and commercial use
106 metres high
32 storeys above ground
level
5 storeys underground
Outline of the structure
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Outlineof the structure
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Spanish Fire RegulationsMain fire Protection
System
At time of Construction
(1970s Spanish Codes
At time of Fire
(Refurbishment in Process)
Fire compartmentation no Under construction
Fire stopping between
cladding & structure
no Under construction
Fire protection to
steelwork
no
17th floor & above: Not yet
commencement
(18th floor partly completed)
4th - 15th floor: Completed
(except 9 & 15th floors)
Fire protection to
concrete members
no no
Sprinkler system no Under construction
Fire alarm system yes yes
Dry riser system yes yes
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Updating works
Workscarriedouttoupdatethebuildinggoing
furtherthanregulationsinforce:
•Nationalregulations(1996)
•RegionalregulationsfromRegionofMadrid
(2003).
They consists in:
•Construction of an exterior staircase
•Renovation of electrical wiring
•Protection of metallic structure with fire
resisting material
•Sealing of concealed spaces
•Fire barriers in curtain-walls
•Renovation of smoke detectors
•Installation of new sprinkler system
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FIRE INCIDENT
Event
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1
st
section:
floors 3 to 16
1
st
technical floor
reception
5
basements
2
nd
technical floor
2
nd
section:
floors 17 to roof
empty floors
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Outline of the fire
12 February
23:05 smoke alarm on 21
st
floor
23:05-23:21 Security staff goes to check alarm
and attempts to tackle fire
23:21 Call to fire brigade
23:25 Firemenarrive
23:25-00:00 Quickspreadingofflames
00:00 Firemenleavethebuilding
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Outline of the fire
13 February
01.00fourstoreyswereonfire
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Outline of the fire
02.00 flames almost all over the building
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33
Outline of the fire
03.30 first collapse 04.00 fire revives
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34
Outline of the fire
Metallic structure strongly
damaged.
Collapse of upper floors
supported by steel columns.
Unforeseenly fire spread
downwards very quickly.
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Outline of the fire
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Outline of the fire
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Outline of the fire
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Outline of the fire
07.00firemen in adjacent buildings
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Outline of the fire
14.00fire is still active
17.00automatic
hoses cooling the
building and its
surroundings are
closed
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The aftermath
Lower section
Bays adjacent to facadesin bad
conditions
Next bays parallel to north facade
also badly damaged
Other areas: concrete columns
diversely damaged
Central coreslightly damaged
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The aftermath
Upper section
Bays adjacent to facadesalmost
compleatly collapsed
Next baysparallel to north facade
also collapsed
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01:00: some floors above
21st floor in fire
The fire in progress
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02:00: all floors above 21st
floor in fire
The fire in progress
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02:00: chunks of façade fall off
The fire in progress
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02:15: steel columns deform
like spaghetti
The fire in progress
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05:30: fire spread below 16th
floor, crossing over the
upper technical floor
The fire in progress
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08:30: fire spread beneath
4
th
floor
The fire in progress
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13:30: fire under control
The fire in progress
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After the fire
The fire in progress
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Primary contributor: detection
•Long response time of detectors to
give alarm
•Closed doors in the room where fire
started
•Lack of effective fire fighting
measures for first intervention
(automatic sprinklers, training of
security guards, …)
Secondary contributor:
Internal intervention
•Lack of water pressure for fire
brigade intervention
The fire initiation
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Primary Contributor
•Gap between curtain wall and floor
slab never fire stopped
•Smoke & flame pass through
breach of compartment:
➢no fire doors
➢no penetration seals
➢no shaft protection
•Burning droplets allowed to pass
down. Fire started on floor 21, but
spread as far down as floor 2 !!!
Secondary contributor
•Glazed façade had no fire rating
•Windows failed at early stag
The fire spread & path
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Curtain wall→Vertical parapets
Mechanism of fire barrier parapet between the floors
Height in Windsor Tower: 1.5 m
The fire spread & path
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Curtain wall→Horizontal fire
barrier
➢Chimney effect for fire spread upwards
➢Falling pieces for fire spread downwards
The fire spread & path
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Perimeter steel
column
protection
Unprotected columns:
Buckled steel
Protected columns:
Remained in place
The performance of fire protection
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Curtain wall
parapet
Properly fixed:
Remained in place
Not properly fixed:
disappeared
The performance of fire protection
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Technical shafts
Remained in place where installed
The performance of fire protection
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COSE –STRUTTURE -SISTEMI
THINGS –STRUCTURES -SYSTEMS
PERSONE –COMPORTAMENTI
PEOPLE –HUMAN BEHAVIOR
COSA
WHAT
CHI
WHO
ROTTURA –COLLASSO -CRISI
FAILURE –COLLPASE -CRISIS
PERCHE’
WHY
SPIEGAZIONE –CAUSE
REASON -DISCLOSURE
CONOSCENZA
KONWLEDGE
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spiegaziónes. f.
[der. di spiegare; cfr. lat. explicationis]
1.L’atto, il fatto e il modo di rendere chiaro ciò che è
oscuro e difficile da comprendere: chiedere la s. di ciò
che non si è riusciti a capire; se non ti è ancora tutto
chiaro, ti darò un’ulteriore s.; la s. di un indovinello, di
una sciarada; un enigma di difficile spiegazione.
2.Ciò che serve a spiegare un fatto, cioè a giustificarlo, a
capirne le ragioni: non so darmi una s. del suo
comportamento; non riesco a trovare una s. alla sua
violenta reazione; la s. da lui fornita non ha convinto
nessuno; la s. di quanto è accaduto non può essere che
questa; per fatti come questi non c’è una s. plausibile.
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ForensicEngineering: definitions
•Forensic Engineeringis the application of
engineering methods in determination and
interpretation of causes of damage to, or failure
of, equipment, machines, or structures.
•Forensic Engineeringis the application of the
art and science of engineering in matters which
are in, or may possibly relate to, the
jurisprudence system, inclusive of alternative
dispute resolution.
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Sensibility
to
initial
conditions
:
FORWARD ANALYSIS
INITIAL
CONDITIONS
FOR #1 -#2
FINAL
STATE
FOR #1
FINAL
STATE
FOR #2
evolutive analysis
decomposability
course predictability
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Sensibility
to
initial
conditions
:
BACKWARD ANALYSIS
FINAL
CONDITIONS
FOR #1 -#2
INITIAL
STATE
FOR #1
INITIAL
STATE
FOR #2
investigative
analysis
decomposability
course predictability
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WINDSOR HOTEL MADRID
Prof. Ing. Franco Bontempi
Facolta’ di IngegneriaCivilee Industriale
Universita’ degliStudidiRoma “La Sapienza”