Structural stability of fire-resistant steel (FR490) H-section columns at elevated temperatures

A fundamental limitation of steel structures is the decrease in their load-bearing capacity at high temperatures in fire situations such that structural members may require some additional treatment for fire resistance. In this regard, this paper evaluates the structural stability of fire-resistant steel, introduced in the late 1999s, through tensile coupon tests and proposes some experimental equations for the yield stress, the elastic modulus, and specific heat. The surface temperature, deflection, and maximum stress of fire-resistant steel H-section columns were calculated using their own mechanical and thermal properties. According to a comparison of mechanical properties between fire-resistant steel and Eurocode 3, the former outperformed the latter, and based on a comparison of structural performance between fire-resistant steel and ordinary structural steel of equivalent mechanical properties at room temperature, the former had greater structural stability than the latter through $900^\circC$.