Disaster and Failure Studies: 

Recent Non-NCST Studies 

Dr. S. Shyam Sunder

Director, Engineering Laboratory

National Institute of Standards and Technology

U.S. Department of Commerce

NCST Advisory 

Committee

November 7, 2011
Fire starting near loading dock unknowingly spread into drop ceiling area 

of large showroom. Unexpectedly fast fire growth trapped and killed nine 

Charleston fire fighters, the greatest U.S. loss of fire fighters since World 

Trade Center.

Sofa Super Store Fire, Charleston, 

SC June 18, 2007

Leader: Nelson Bryner

NIST Team:

• Paul Fuss

• Bryan Klein

• Anthony Putorti
Sofa Super Store - Status

• International Fire Code Committee considering proposal to 

change furniture store Use and Occupancy Classification 

(IFC –Chap. 3) from Mercantile (Sec.309) to High Hazard 

(Sec. 307) as part of ongoing recognition of the hazard of 

high fuel-load in furniture stores.

• NIST briefed the International Code Council’s (ICC) Code 

Technology Committee (CTC), National Fire Protection 

Association (NFPA), US Fire Administration (USFA), 

Society for Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), International 

Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), and Door and Access 

Systems Manufacturers Association (DASMA) on the 

findings and recommendations of the study.
Amarillo Wildland-Urban Interface Fires

March 2011

Leader: Alex Maranghides 

Team:

• William Mell

• K. Ridenour (TX Fire Service)

• D. McNamara (contractor)

Multiple communities impacted by wildland fires due to very high 

winds and extremely dry conditions
Amarillo - Status

• NIST briefed Texas Forest Service, US Forest 

Service (USFS), and American Society for 

Testing and Materials (ASTM) on the findings and 

recommendations of the preliminary recon report.

• Adoption of the NIST WUI data collection 

methodology by USFS Region 8 (Southern US), 

National State Foresters Association, and Texas 

Forest Service.

• Exposure scale for WUI fires draft completed.
Collapse of Dallas Cowboys Indoor 

Practice Facility, May 2, 2009

Leader: John Gross

NIST Team: 

• Joe Main

• Long Phan

• Fahim Sadek

• Steve Cauffman

Unexpected collapse of a fabric-covered steel framed building of 

common design under below-design winds

Failure at Ridge

Failure at Knee

Predominant Wind Direction (west to east) Kink in Roof Truss

Keystone Section Ridge

Knee

Straight Roof Section

Inner Chord

Outer Chord

Leg Section

Truss Web

Keystone Web
Dallas Cowboys Indoor Practice 

Facility - Status

• NIST briefed the International Code Council’s 

(ICC) Code Technology Committee (CTC) on 

the findings and recommendation of the study.

• NIST has prepared a draft code change 

proposal for implementation into the 

International Building Code (IBC). NIST will 

submit the proposal in the upcoming code cycle.
• Chile – Jeff Dragovich & Jay Harris (EERI team)*

• New Zealand – Matthew Speicher (ASCE team)* 

• Japan – Jeff Dragovich, Long Phan & Steve McCabe 

(UJNR - 5 months after) 

* Ongoing

Christchurch, NZ

Christchurch, NZ 

Chile

Earthquake Damage Assessments
Earthquake Damage Assessments - Domestic 

Mineral, Virginia Earthquake, August 2011

• Louisa County High School – steel frame, URM

• Thomas Jefferson Elementary School – poorly 

detailed URM

• Some injured children

• ~ $60 million in school damage; substantial 

repairs/upgrading or replacement