The growing complexity of modern façade systems and the increasing use of combustible materials highlight a pressing need to evaluate not only fire resistance but also fire resilience in façade design. This study addresses critical gaps in façade fire resilience assessment, particularly the absence of methodologies that incorporate both damage progression and post-fire recovery potential. To fill this gap, the research formulates a central question: How can the fire resilience of façade systems be assessed to evaluate their ability to maintain structural integrity and recover functionality after fire exposure?
A two-phase methodology was adopted. First, a quantitative damage assessment was performed using a one-dimensional heat transfer simulation. This model, governed by the standard fire and implemented via the finite difference method, simulates temperature evolution in multi-layered façade assemblies. Damage states were classified based on critical temperature thresholds, enabling the computation of vulnerability scores over different fire durations. This method was selected due to its computational efficiency and its solid foundation in fire engineering literature, making it well-suited for early-stage design comparisons. In the second phase, resilience was evaluated through a qualitative expert survey focusing on repairability and recoverability, as the lack of empirical post-fire data necessitated expert-based evaluation. Experts assessed post-fire conditions of façade materials and components in terms of ease of repair, repair duration, cost, and likelihood of restoring performance.
The integration of these two methods provides a holistic framework for evaluating façade fire resilience by linking thermal vulnerability with practical recovery insights. The framework is further developing through a preparation phase, which also serves as its validation by comparison with existing research results. This study contributes a novel perspective to façade design, enabling stakeholders to identify fire-resilient systems that balance thermal performance, structural robustness, and post-fire recoverability.