Coupled thermal and structural analysis of steel columns under fire condition

Author(s)

Érica Fernanda Aiko Kimura

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: São Carlos.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC/SBD)
• Defense date: 2009-04-15

Examining board members

Jorge Munaiar Neto; Maximiliano Malite; Valdir Pignatta e Silva

• Advisor: Jorge Munaiar Neto

Abstract

The most part of materials whose constitute fire protection elements or structural elements, such as steel columns, when exposed to high temperature have their strength and elasticity modulus reduced caused by thermal action. Therefore the structure can collapse earlier than in an ambient temperature situation. Based in this aspect, the objective of the presented work is to develop steel columns numerical analysis to consider its behavior under fire situation, including compartment condition of the room. The thermal and coupled thermal structural numerical analyses were carried out using the computational code ANSYS v9.0. In an initial stage, 2-D models are proposed in order to obtain cross sections thermal gradient, considering also the numerical result of the code TCD v5.5 in sense to compare with ANSYS thermal result. Afterwards, three-dimensional models taking account coupled thermal and structural analysis, considering materials and geometric non-linearity were showed. The obtained results were compared with method proposed by standard ABNT NBR 14323:1999 and EC3-1.2, in which are used the section factor, i.e., the parameter defined by the ratio between exposed perimeter to fire and total cross section area in order to determine the maximum structural element temperature and, consequently, the design in elevated temperature with respect to the collapse load . The results, obtained by numerical analysis, drive in sense to signalize that, for the situations where non-uniform heating conditions occurs, the use of section factor (F), used as a alternative simplified parameter which the objective to determine the maximum temperature at the element, can carry out, eventually, to an unsatisfactory and non-representative response if compared with a real fire situation. These presented results can be converted to an important contribution for future reviews of Brazilian standard code ABNT NBR14323:1999 currently in action. (AU)