Citation

Piloto PAG, Balsa C, Macêdo Gomes FM, Matias B. J. Struct. Fire Eng. 2021; 12(4): 522-540.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Emerald Group Publishing)

DOI

10.1108/JSFE-02-2021-0009

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

PURPOSE Most of the numerical research and experiments on composite slabs with a steel deck have been developed to study the effect of fire during the heating phase. This manuscript aims to describe the thermal behaviour of composite slabs when submitted to different fire scenarios, considering the heating and cooling phase.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH Three-dimensional numerical models, based on finite elements, are developed to analyse the temperatures inside the composite slab and, consequently, to estimate the fire resistance, considering the insulation criteria (I). The numerical methods developed are validated with experimental results available in the literature. In addition, this paper presents a parametric study of the effects on fire resistance caused by the thickness of the concrete part of the slab as well as the natural fire scenario.

FINDINGS The results show that, depending on the fire scenario, the fire resistance criterion can be reached during the cooling phase, especially for the thickest composite slabs. Based on the results, new coefficients are proposed for the original simplified model, proposed by the standard.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE The developed numerical models allow us to realistically simulate the thermal effects caused by a natural fire in a composite slab and the new proposal enables us to estimate the fire resistance time of composite slabs with a steel deck, even if it occurs in the cooling phase.

Language: en

Keywords

Composite slabs; Eurocode; Finite elements method; Fire resistance; Natural fire; Numerical simulation