Experimental and Numerical Analysis on Full High Strength Steel Extended Endplate Connections in Fire

Abstract

Full-scale experimental study and numerical analysis on behaviors and failure mechanisms of full high strength steel extended endplate connections in fire have been carried out and presented in this paper. The experimental behaviors of the connections were compared with the provisions of Eurocode 3. The test results show that the failure modes of the connections in fire are bolt failure with yielding of the flange, as same as those at ambient temperature. The failures of the bolts in fire are ductile while they are brittle at ambient temperature. The rotation capacity of the connections in fire is proved sufficient. What is more, at elevated temperature 550 °C, the plastic moment resistances of Q690 and Q960 full high strength steel endplate connections are only 40% of those at ambient temperature, while their initial rotation stiffness are 66 and 63% respectively. But the rotation capacities of Q690 and Q960 high strength steel endplate connections are 1.38 and 1.74 times of those at ambient temperature. Moreover, it is found that the component method Eurocode 3 proposed based on connections made of mild steels can be used to calculate plastic resistances and to predict failure modes of high strength steel endplate connections in fire, but it is not suitable to predict their stiffness. The suggestions about rotation capacity of connections in Eurocode 3 are found too conservative for high strength steel endplate connections in fire.