Modeling and Behavior of Steel Plate Connections Subject to Various Fire Scenarios
Publication: Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 136, Issue 7
Abstract
Shear connections are common connection types and they are designed to resist only shear loads. In a fire event, the axial restraint provided by adjacent structure creates unanticipated compressive and tensile forces in the beam and thus the connection. Using finite-element models, this study examines single-plate shear connections that are bolted to the beam and welded to the supporting girder. A floor subassembly, which includes the beam, girder, slab, and connection, is modeled so that appropriate forces are applied to the connection. The model is validated with the experiments of bolted lap splice plates at elevated temperatures, as well as full-scale experiments. This paper (1) illustrates efficient modeling methods for these floor subassemblies; (2) evaluates the importance of the slab in the connection response; and (3) examines the effects of the rate of heating and cooling on the connection. The results show that care needs to be taken as to how the concrete slab is represented in the model. The heating and cooling rates affect the beam stress distribution, peak temperatures, and peak displacements, but not the peak beam axial force. Also, the cooling phase creates large tensile forces in the connection which can lead to failure.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
This material is based upon the work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grant No. UNSPECIFIEDCMMI-0756488. The writers are grateful to Professor Panos Papadopoulos (Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California at Berkeley) for his assistance with the ABAQUS and developing the finite-element model.
References
ABAQUS version 6.8; documentation, (2008). DS-Simulia, Providence, R.I.
AISC. (2005). Steel construction manual. 13th Ed., American Institute of Steel Construction Inc., Chicago.
Al-Jabri, K. S., Davison, J. B., and Burgess, I. W. (2008). “Performance of beam-to-column joints in fire - A review.” Fire Saf. J., 43(1), 50–62.
Bailey, C. G., Lennon, T., and Moore, D. B. (1999). “The behavior of full-scale steel-framed buildings subjected to compartment fires.” Struct. Eng., 77(8), 15–21.
Beitel, J., and Iwankiw, N. (2002). “Analysis of needs and existing capabilities for full-scale fire resistance testing.” Rep. No. NIST GCR 02-843, NIST, Gaithersgurg, Md., 1–86.
Corus Sections Interactive (2008). Bluebook. version 3.0, Construction Services and Development, Scunthorpe, U.K.
European Committee for Standardization. (2001). “Eurocode 3: Design of steel structures. Part 1.2: General rules structural fire design.” ENV 1993-1-2:2001, Brussels, Belgium.
European Committee for Standardization. (2002). “ Eurocode 1: Actions on structures. Part 1–2: General actions on structures exposed to fire.” EN 1991-1-2:2002, Brussels, Belgium.
Garlock, M. E. M., and Quiel, S. E. (2007). “Mechanics of wide-flanged steel sections with thermal gradients due to fire exposure.” Int. J. Steel Struct., 7(3), 153–162.
Jaspart, J. P., and Demonceau, J. F. (2008). “European design recommendation for simple joints in steel structures.” J. Constr. Steel Res., 64, 822–832.
Kirby, B. R. (1995). “The behavior of high-strength grade 8.8 bolts in fire.” J. Constr. Steel Res., 33, 3–38.
Lennon, T., and Moore, D. (2003). “The natural fire safety concept full-scale tests at Cardington.” Fire Saf. J., 38, 623–643.
Quiel, S. E., and Garlock, M. E. M. (2008). “A closed-form analysis of perimeter member behavior in a steel building frame subject to fire.” Eng. Struct., 30(11), 3276–3284.
Sarraj, M., Burgess, I. W., Davison, J., and Plank, R. J. (2007). “Finite element modelling of steel fin plate connections in fire.” Fire Saf. J., 42, 408–415.
Selamet, S., and Garlock, M. E. M. (2010). “Robust design of single plate shear connections for fire.” Eng. Struct., in press.
Wald, F. (2007). Design of structural connections to Eurocode, Helsinki Univ. of Technology, Espoo, Finland.
Wald, F., et al. (2006). “Experimental behaviour of steel structures under natural fire.” Fire Saf. J., 41(7), 509–522.
Yu, H. X., Burgess, I. W., Davison, J. B., and Plank, R. J. (2009). “Experimental investigation of the behaviour of fin plate connections in fire.” J. Constr. Steel Res., 65(3), 723–736.
Yu, H. X., Burgess, I. W., Davison, J. B., and Plank, R. J. (2008b). “Numerical simulation of bolted steel connections in fire using explicit dynamic analysis.” J. Constr. Steel Res., 64, 515–525.
Yu, L. (2006). “Behavior of bolted connection during and after a fire.” Ph.D. dissertation, Univ. of Texas at Austin, Austin, Tex.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 136 • Issue 7 • July 2010
Pages: 897 - 906
Copyright
© 2010 ASCE.
History
Received: Jan 26, 2009
Accepted: Jan 3, 2010
Published online: Jan 7, 2010
Published in print: Jul 2010
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.