Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Thermal Analysis of Hollow Steel Columns Exposed to Localised Fires

  • Published:
Fire Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In fires in large compartments like enclosed car parks, airport terminals and industrial halls, the uniform distribution of gas temperature of post-flashover stages are unlikely to occur; in these cases, the thermal actions of a localised fire must be taken into account. In order to design steel structures for a localised fire, very detailed data concerning the development of temperatures in steel is required. EN 1991-1-2 presents a simplified model for calculating the temperatures in ceiling slabs and in the beams that may support such slabs; however, no simplified calculation model for the heat transfer in vertical elements, such as columns, is yet available. There is a need for more experimental data on real scale structures exposed to localised fires. A research project on the evaluation of temperatures in steel columns exposed to localised fires was carried out at the University of Coimbra. Full-scale natural fire tests were used to test columns, instead of conducting the usual furnace tests. This paper presents and discusses the results of the experimental tests on unprotected hollow steel columns exposed to localised fires, each of them simulating a distinct fire scenario according to different fire loads, positions and ventilation conditions. During the fire tests, real measurements showed flame heights and burning times different to those preliminarily estimated: flame heights had been conservatively predicted; while, the duration of the burning had been significantly underestimated.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
Figure 8
Figure 9
Figure 10
Figure 11
Figure 12
Figure 13
Figure 14
Figure 15
Figure 16
Figure 17
Figure 18
Figure 19
Figure 20

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. ISO 834-1 (1999) Fire-resistance tests—elements of a building construction—part 1: general requirements. BSI: British Standards, London

  2. Lange D, Sjöström J (2014) Mechanical response of a partially restrained column exposed to localised fires. Fire Saf J 67:6782–6795.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. EN 1991-1-2 (2002) Eurocode 1—basis of design and actions on structures—part 1–2: actions on structures exposed to fire. CEN, European Committee for Standardization, Brussels

  4. Gales J (2013) Travelling fires and the St. Lawrence Burns project. Fire Technol 50:1535–1543. doi:10.1007/s10694-013-0372-3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Stern-Gottfried J, Rein G (2012) Travelling fires for structural design—part I: literature review. Fire Saf J 54:74–85.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Hasemi Y (1986) Thermal modelling of upward wall flame spread. Fire Saf Sci 1:87–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Haremza C, Santiago A, Simões da Silva L (2013) Design of steel and composite open car parks. Adv Steel Constr 9(4):350–368.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Zhang C, Li GQ, Usmani A (2011) Simulating the behaviour of restrained steel beams to flame impingement from localized-fires. J Constr Steel Res 83:156–165.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Byström A, Sjöström J, Wickström U, Veljkovic M (2012) Large scale test to explore thermal exposure of column exposed to localized fire. In: Structures in fire 12, Zurich, pp 185–194.

  10. Wald F, Chlouba J, Uhlir A, Kallerova P, Stujberova M (2009) Temperatures during fire tests on structure and its prediction according to Eurocodes. Fire Saf J 49:135–146.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Li G, Zhang C (2010) Thermal response of steel columns exposed to localized fires—numerical simulation and comparison with experimental results. In: Proceedings of the sixth international conference on structures in fire 10

  12. Kamikawa D, Hasemi Y, Wakamatsu T, Kagiya K (2003) Experimental flame heat transfer correlations for a steel column adjacent to and surrounded by a pool fire. Fire Saf Sci 7:989–999.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Karlsson B, Quintiere J (2000) Chapter 4—fire plumes and flame heights. In: Enclosure fire dynamics. CRC Press, Boca Raton

  14. Heskestad G (2002) Fire plumes, flame height, and air entrainment. In: DiNenno PJ (ed) Handbook of fire protection engineering, 3rd edn. National Fire Protection Association-NFPA, Society of Fire Protection Engineering-SFPE, Section 2, pp 1–17

  15. EN 1993-1-2 (2005) Eurocode 3—design of steel structures—part 1.2: general rules—structural fire design. CEN, European Committee for Standardization, Brussels

  16. PD 6688-1-2 (2007) Background paper to the UK National Annex to BS EN 1991-1-2. BSI: British Standards, London

  17. Babrauskas V (2002) Heat release rate In: In: DiNenno PJ (ed) Handbook of fire protection engineering, 3rd ed. National Fire Protection Association-NFPA, Society of Fire Protection Engineering-SFPE

  18. Vehicular Access Standards, Parking Standards (1999) Development Control Advice Note 15, 2nd edn, Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland

Download references

Acknowledgment

The authors acknowledge the financial support of the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology under the research project PTDC/ECM/110807/2009.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, ISISE, University of Coimbra, Rua Luís Reis Santos, 3030-788, Coimbra, Portugal

    Gonçalo Ferraz, Aldina Santiago, João Paulo Rodrigues & Pedro Barata

Authors
  1. Gonçalo Ferraz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Aldina Santiago
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. João Paulo Rodrigues
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Pedro Barata
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Aldina Santiago.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ferraz, G., Santiago, A., Rodrigues, J.P. et al. Thermal Analysis of Hollow Steel Columns Exposed to Localised Fires. Fire Technol 52, 663–681 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10694-015-0481-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10694-015-0481-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation