Virtual Tests on Axially and Rotationally Restrained Steel Column Under Fire

摘要

During a fire, some additional forces are imposed on columns due to varied thermal deformations in the neighboring structural components. Axial and rotational restraints can produce substantial loadings, which together with thermally reduced stiffness, can lead to its premature buckling and reduction of the column fire resistance. The paper presents a study on numerical modeling of steel columns subjected to prescribed axial and rotational restraints and time dependent temperatures. The problem is investigated using nonlinear finite element simulations carried out using the general purpose program LS-DYNA?. The paper focuses on model development and its verification and validation. Several modeling options and strategies for modeling thermal and mechanical boundary conditions have been considered. A numerical prediction of structural response during heating is compared with published experimental data.