Fire resistance of concrete filled square steel tube columns subjected to eccentric axial load

Abstract

The fire resistance of concrete filled square steel tube columns (CFT columns) without fire protection under a constant axial load has been previously examined. The purpose of this present study is to investigate the fire resistance of CFT columns when they are subjected to combined loads. This paper presents a nonlinear thermal stress analysis method for predicting the mechanical behavior and fire resistance of CFT columns under eccentric axial load (axial load and flexure moment). This method is based on the stress-strain characteristics of materials at high temperatures and on the mechanics of column deflection curves. From the results of the developed computational technique, it was demonstrated that as the yield stress and rigidity of the steel tube rapidly decreased for approximately 30 minutes, the decrease of flexure moment capacity increased significantly more than that of the axial load capacity. In addition, as the load eccentricity ratio increased, the fire resistance time drastically decreased. However, the time of maximum expansion under eccentric axial load was independent of the load eccentricity ratio.