3D Beam Element for the Analysis of Torsional Problems of Steel-Structures in Fire
Publication: Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 146, Issue 7
Abstract
The paper presents the development of a three-dimensional (3D) beam element for the analysis of steel structures in fire that properly accounts for the degradation of the torsional strength and stiffness owing to thermal exposure. The element is well-suited for the analysis of members that are subjected to significant torsional effects, as steel members with open cross-sections subjected to torsion, lateral-torsional buckling, and torsional buckling. The element is based on a corotational formulation and small strains assumption, while the local formulation was developed according to both the Timoshenko and Bernoulli beam theories. The stress-strain relationship and thermal expansion of steel were implemented according to Eurocode EN 1993-1-2 (CEN 2005). A comprehensive numerical analysis was performed and results for several case studies are presented in the paper to assess the performance of the 3D beam element. The outcomes indicated very good agreement when compared with shell-based models, highlighting promising capabilities of modeling steel structures in fire. Moreover, the proposed element showed more accurate results with respect to beam elements included into two commercial software, i.e., ABAQUS and SAFIR.
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Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge funding from the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR) in the frame of the Departments of Excellence Initiative 2018–2022 attributed to DICAM of the University of Trento.
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Published In
Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 146 • Issue 7 • July 2020
Copyright
©2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 21, 2019
Accepted: Jan 8, 2020
Published online: Apr 24, 2020
Published in print: Jul 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Sep 24, 2020
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