Post-fire performance of bonding interface in explosion-welded stainless-clad bimetallic steel

Abstract

Corrosion in structural steel has significantly adverse effects on the durability of steel structures. The use of stainless-clad bimetallic steel (SCBS) produced via the explosive welding compound method was suggested to mitigate these adverse effects of corrosion. The shear resistant properties of the bonding interface had noteworthy effects on the mechanical performance of SCBS. The steel structure in service was often affected by fire, which had lasting effects on the mechanical performance of the structural steel. An experiment was conducted to clarify the effects of the exposure temperature and cooling method on the shear resistant properties of the bonding interface of the SCBS. An apparent heat affected zone (HAZ) was observed in the explosive welding area. The metallographic structure in carbon steel comprised ferrite and pearlite. The HAZ in carbon steel was mainly composed of ferrite. The changes in the microstructure of SCBS for various exposure temperatures and cooling methods were discussed. After performing mechanical tests, load–displacement curves of the SCBS specimens were obtained. Some resistance parameters were selected to clarify the effects of the exposure temperature and cooling method on the shear resistant properties of the bonding interface of the SCBS. Based on the obtained experimental results, predictive equations were suggested to reveal the variation trend of the resistance parameters. After performing a comprehensive comparison of the experimental and predictive results, it was determined that the suggested multilinear model could be used to predict the shear resistant properties of the bonding interface of SCBS effectively.