Advances in fire engineering design of steel structures

Owing to its high thermal conductivity, exposed structural steel will increase in temperature very quickly during a fire, losing strength and stiffness. Designers must ensure that steel-framed buildings maintain sufficient stability, for a reasonable period of time, should a fire occur. A number of design approaches are available, of varying complexity, to ensure adequate fire safety. This paper explains the available design methods, including recent innovative approaches, ranging from the simple prescriptive approach of ‘blindly’ covering all exposed areas of steel with fire protection to carrying out a performance-based approach where the likely fire severity, heat transfer and structural response are considered. The advantages and disadvantages are summarised for each of the design methods described, allowing the optimum solution for individual projects to be determined.