Behavior of prestressed stayed steel columns under fire conditions

Abstract

Prestressed stayed steel columns experience loss of strength and stiffness when exposed to fire conditions. This paper presents results from experimental studies on the behavior of prestressed stayed circular steel columns under fire conditions. Two full scale prestressed stayed steel columns were tested by subjecting the columns to simultaneous gravity (mechanical) loading and fire conditions. In these fire tests, the varied parameters include load level and level of prestressing. Cross sectional temperatures, axial deformations, as well as fire resistance during the fire tests were recorded and measured. The results indicate that prestressed stayed steel columns undergo various failures modes under different combinations of load and prestress ratios. Specifically, load level significantly influence the fire response of prestressed stayed steel columns with higher load level leading to higher contraction and lower fire resistance.