Component-based model of fin plate connections exposed to fire-part I: Plate in bearing component

Abstract

Connections are important components for maintaining the robustness of a structure. The behaviour of connections and their influence on the structure exposed to fire can only be properly understood if either the substructure or the entire structure that contains the connections are investigated. The costs of fire testing a structure that contains connections are very high and using three-dimensional (3-D) solid elements to simulate connections in a finite element analysis (FEA) can be very time-consuming. A component-based model is therefore a realistic approach to model the behavior of the connection under the complex stress history when exposed to fire. The key to establishing such a component-based model for connections exposed to fire is to determine the temperature-dependent force-deflection relationships of the components which have not been extensively explored. In this study, the plate in bearing component using fully threaded bolts was investigated at ambient and elevated temperatures. The behaviour of the component was determined by establishing a 3-D solid finite element modelling of lap joints with the FEA software ABAQUS. The effects of parameters such as edge distance, bolt pitch, end distance, plate thickness, bolt hole diameter, bolt bearing angle and temperature on the behaviour of the plate in bearing component were investigated. The failure mode, resistance, initial stiffness and the force-deflection relationship of the component for different values of these parameters were noted and prediction models for the resistance and initial stiffness of the components were proposed. A nonlinear function relation for force-deflection was also established.