The fire resistance rating of a structural element is determined in a test laboratory by subjecting a loaded structural element to a fire environment controlled to a standard time temperature-heating regime.

Observations of actual building fires and results of the real-scale fire tests show that the fire performance of real buildings is much better than can be expected from the single element tests.

Performance based approach to structural fire resistance allows a reduction of fire protection to structural members which can result in significant savings.

Using Time Equivalent Method it is possible to justify the reduction in the fire protection to structural elements by analysing the severity of the possible fire in a specific building against the severity of the standard test fire.

An alternative approach is to simulate the behaviour of the structural assembly as a whole as this allows to take into account the enhancement effects that exist due to the interaction between the structural elements (e.g. between the slab and the beams).

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