Citation

Witteveen J, Twilt L. Fire Safety J. 1981; 4(4): 259-270.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1981, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

On comparing the results of conventional fire resistance tests on steel columns repeated in the same furnace or performed in different furnaces, it appears that a significant scatter exists. This makes comparisons of test results from different fire testing laboratories, as well as an interpretation of test results for engineering purposes, difficult. Apart from the heat-flow characteristics of the furnace, important factors responsible for inadequate repeatability and reproducibility are: material properties, geometrical imperfections, residual stresses, temperature distribution along the column, restraint conditions, and unavoidable eccentricity of the load. This paper deals with a systematic evaluation of the influence of these factors on the test results and concludes with suggestions for improvement and future trends.