TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION IN A STEEL BEAM-TO-COLUMN JOINT WHEN EXPOSED TO FIRE. PART 2: FLANGE-PLATES AND WEB-CLEATS JOINT

In the second part of this paper the temperature distribution is analysed for a thermally uninsulated steel beam-to-column flange-plates and web-cleats joint after 15 minutes of its exposure to a fully developed fire. Two types of such a joint are considered separately, firstly the pure steel connection with a beam and a column evenly heated on all four sides and then the analogous one, but with a massive reinforced concrete floor slab lying on the upper beam flange. In the latter case the joint beam is heated only on three sides. In addition, in each of the analysed joint the beams of two sizes are analysed independently for comparative purposes. Those that are made of the bigger I-section have a more slender web, while the smaller ones are more stocky. However, the smaller I-section heats faster than the bigger one because the section factor calculated for it has a greater value. In general, it can be concluded that in all the joints considered by the authors the steel temperature turned out to be much lower than that measured outside these joints. Moreover, a significant difference is observed in the temperature values identified in the beam web and in the beam flanges. Finally, the temperature distribution obtained from a numerical simulation and identified in the selected cross-sections of the joint beam in the case of a joint with adjacent floor slab is referred to the analogous distribution recommended for use in such circumstances in the standard EN 1993-1-2.

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[1] EN 1993-1-2. Eurocode 3: Design of steel structures. Part 1-2: General rules - Structural fire design.

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