Fire testing and design of stainless steel structures

Despite significant progress in recent years in the development of room temperature design guidance for stainless steel structures, fire resistant design has received relatively little attention. This paper reports on studies carried out to investigate the performance of unprotected stainless steel beams and columns in fire. Material tests were carried out on five grades of stainless steel to determine strength and stiffness retention factors at elevated temperatures; both strength and stiffness retention were shown to be superior to that of carbon steel beyond 600 ∘C. The temperature development characteristics of a range of stainless steel sections were investigated, and compared to those of carbon steel sections. Full scale fire tests were conducted on six stainless steel columns, and four stainless steel beams. Finite element modelling of the tests was carried out, and parametric studies were performed to supplement the test data. All tests were carried out as part of the European project ‘Development of the use of stainless steel in construction’. Design recommendations for stainless steel columns and stainless steel beams supporting a concrete slab, based on the ECCS model code for fire engineering, were validated against the test and finite element results. These recommendations have been incorporated into the Euro Inox/SCI Design Manual for Structural Stainless Steel, and implemented in Eurocode 3: Part 1.2, with minor adjustments for consistency with carbon steel.