Numerical modeling of the fire–structure behavior of steel beam-to-column connections

This study proposes a numerical model to investigate the behavior of steel beam-to-column connections in fires. Two strategies have been employed to transfer thermal results from a fire simulation to structural analysis. A full scale fire test was performed on a steel beam-to-column connection following the ISO 834 standard fire curve; it was simulated to verify the proposed methods. The wall temperatures obtained by FDS were used as an interface for fire exposure on the surface of the structure. The numerical results are in agreement with the experimental data. In addition, the size effect of the furnace and a sensitivity analysis on insulation materials had been studied. Two reduced beam sections were analyzed and compared with the simulation results of an unreduced beam section. Both sections were able to withstand the severity of the blaze with the runway phenomenon occurred after a similar period of time for each beam.

► We propose a method to model the behavior of beam-to-column connection in fire.
► A full scale fire test for steel beam-to-column connection has been done.
► The numerical results are in good agreement with the experimental data.
► Size effects of the furnace and the sensitivity analysis have been involved.
► The behaviors of two types of reduced beam section in fire are also studied.