This paper aims to provide a comprehensive and structured overview of the current state of research on fire-exposed industrial steel halls, with a focus on numerical simulations. Despite the frequent use of steel structures in industrial buildings, a lack of summarizing literature exists regarding their fire performance under standardized conditions. This systematic review closes this gap by analyzing relevant studies from the year 2000 onward that apply the ISO standard fire definition to typical one-bay, one-storey steel halls. By synthesizing modelling approaches, structural behavior, and failure mechanisms, this review offers a valuable reference for engineers and researchers seeking to improve fire-resistant design strategies for steel halls.
The study follows the PRISMA methodology to systematically select and evaluate peer-reviewed studies using numerical methods to simulate the fire behavior of steel structures. Only studies based on ISO standard fires and relevant hall geometries were considered.
The review reveals a clear correlation between failure mode and structural parameters such as column stiffness, boundary conditions, and load utilization. Two main failure types—outward and inward collapse—are repeatedly observed, with inward collapse being more desirable for safety. Moreover, typical load factors under fire conditions were identified as ranging between 0.15 and 0.30. Galvanisation and section geometry significantly influence temperature rise and thus fire resistance.
This paper is the first to offer a state-of-the-art review specifically focused on fire-exposed steel halls under standardized fire conditions. It bridges the gap between isolated research results and practical application, providing guidance for realistic and efficient fire design of industrial steel structures.
