Calculation Sheet

Project No: CIV 6000 Sheet No: 1

Project: Fire resistance and protection of a composite beam to Office: University of Sheffield
BS EN 1994-1-2 using the critical temperature method Computed: JAS/07/10
Checked:

Design concept
7m long composite steel beam supporting a concrete slab
located in an office building where 60 minutes of fire
resistance is required. The floor slab provides full lateral
restraint to the compression flange. For this example the
beam is to be subjected to the standard fire curve.

Check scope of application

 The downstand of the beam is to be 500mm or less.
 The concrete slab is not thicker than 120mm.
 The beam is simply supported and subject to sagging moments only.

Fire curve [BS EN 1991-1-2 cl.3.2 & 3.3]

The gas temperature, is given by a fire curve according to BS EN 1991-1-2 which gives the choice of 3
nominal time-temperature curves;
 The “Standard time-temperature curve” (can be used for all scenarios)
 The “External fire curve” (can be used for external applications)
 The “Hydrocarbon” curve (can be used for more intense fires where combustion of hydrocarbon
materials is likely to occur)
and 2 simplified fire models for a natural fire;
 “Compartment fires” such as the “Parametric fire curve.” Annex A gives an example of how to
calculate a parametric fire curve which can be calculated for a maximum floor area of 500m2 with
no roof openings and maximum compartment height of 4m. In this scenario it is assumed that the
fire load is completely burned-out and therefore the temperature does not infinitely rise as with
the standard fire curve. This curve is therefore more realistic and can give a less-conservative
solution to the standard fire curve.
 “Localised fires” can be calculated whereby flash-over is unlikely to occur.

The gas temperature of a nominal fire curve can be found here: [NCCI SD007a-EN-EU]
The gas temperature of a parametric fire curve can be calculated-
following the philosophy in the example here: [NCCI SX042a-EN-EU]

Member properties [The blue book (IE browsers)]

Section size, 254x146x31UB S275
Cross-section class ambient temperature, Class 1 [The blue book (IE browsers)]
Cross-section class elevated temperature, Class 2 [NCCI SD002a-EN-EU]
Steel strength, f mm
Calculation Sheet
Project No: CIV 6000 Sheet No: 2
Project: Fire resistance and protection of a composite beam to Office: University of Sheffield
BS EN 1994-1-2 using the critical temperature method Computed: JAS/07/10
Checked:

Partial material factor for resistance of-

cross-section, . [EN 1993-1-1 cl.6.1 Recommended by UK NA]
Gross area of section, A . cm
Shear area, A . cm
Height beam, h . mm
Slab thickness, h mm

Design loading at ambient temperature [BS EN 1991-1-1]

Loading;
Permanent , m
Primary variable, m
Partial factor for permanent action, .
Partial factor for primary variable action, .
Design load, E . . . m
Maximum bending moment, . . m
Maximum shear force, . .

Design resistance at ambient temperature [EN 1994-1-1 cl.6.2.1.2]

Effective width of slab, b L mm
. ( . )
Depth to neutral axis, x .
x . ( . )
. mm
Verification of neutral axis position, x h 36.7mm mm
Design bending resistance, A f (h h . x )
. e f (h h . x )
. e ( . ) ( . . . ) . m
.
.
. . Section is in bending

Shear resistance, [EN 1993-1-1 cl.6.2.6]

.
.
.
.
.
. . Section is in shear

Design loading in fire [EN 1993-1-2 cl.2.4.2]

Combination factors, . .
.
.
Action of loads in fire
( . . )
. m
Calculation Sheet
Project No: CIV 6000 Sheet No: 3
Project: Fire resistance and protection of a composite beam to Office: University of Sheffield
BS EN 1994-1-2 using the critical temperature method Computed: JAS/07/10
Checked:

.
Reduction factor, .
.

Critical temperature [EN 1994-1-2 c4.3.4.2.3]

Strength of steel at critical temperature, f . f
f . . . mm
.
Reduction factor, .

Critical temperature, . [Table 3.2 BS EN 1994-1-2]

Steel temperature development for unprotected internal steelwork [EN 1993-1-2 cl.4.2.5.1]
Eurocode 3 simplifies a differential equation by linearising the temperature increments in small time
steps. Eurocode 3 limits the time interval to a maximum of 5 seconds. The only practical method of
calculating the temperature development is by use of a spreadsheet like this: [FiRE5]

The change in temperature of the steel over a small period of time is,
h t

Section factors can be obtained from tables such as ‘The Yellow Boo ’ [The Yellow Book]
Section factor, A
Box value of section factor, A
Correction factor for the shadow effect, A A
Specific heat of steel [J/kgK],
For c . . .
For c

For c

For c
Unit mass of steel, g m
Surface emissivity of member, .
Emissivity of the fire, .
Configuration factor, .
Stephan Boltzmann constant, . m
Net heat flux, h h h
Radiative component, h ( ) ( ) m
Convective heat flux, h m
The effective radiation temperature of the fire environment can conservatively taken as equal to the gas
temperature of the fire;
Co-efficient of heat transfer, W/m2K for standard fire curve
Calculation Sheet
Project No: CIV 6000 Sheet No: 4
Project: Fire resistance and protection of a composite beam to Office: University of Sheffield
BS EN 1994-1-2 using the critical temperature method Computed: JAS/07/10
Checked:

W/m2K for external fire curve

W/m2K for hydrocarbon fire curve
W/m2K for parametric fire curve
Time step, t seconds
From entering the above parameters and the chosen section size into the spreadsheet it can be found
that for a standard fire curve, the critical temperature is reached at a time of 11.5 minutes. For this
example we require a resistance period of 60 minutes. It is proposed that the steel section is sprayed
with 10mm of vermiculite fire protection.

Steel temperature development of protected internal steelwork [EN 1993-1-2 cl.4.2.5.2]

The change in temperature of the insulated steel over a small period of time is,

( )
t e

with d A

Section factor for steel members-

insulated by fire protection material, A [SD005a-EN-EU]
Unit mass of fire protection material, kg/m3 [SD005a-EN-EU]

Thermal conductivity of fire protection, W/mK [SD005a-EN-EU]

Specific heat of fire protection material, c J/kgK [SD005a-EN-EU]
Thickness of fire protection material, d m
The steel temperature at time t, °C
The gas temperature at time t, °C

From the FiRE2 spreadsheet it was found that with 10mm thickness of vermiculite spray with the
following properties;
kg/m3
. W/mK
c g
slowed the rate of steel temperature development down sufficiently. After 60 minutes the steel
temperature, was found to be . . As this is less than the critical temperature found at 60 minutes
the protection is adequate for a 60 minute resistance period.
Calculation Sheet
Project No: CIV 6000 Sheet No: 5
Project: Fire resistance and protection of a composite beam to Office: University of Sheffield
BS EN 1994-1-2 using the critical temperature method Computed: JAS/07/10
Checked:

Shear resistance of stud connectors [BS EN 1994-1-2 cl.4.3.4.2.5]

Effective width of slab, b L mm
Depth of steel sheeting profile, h mm
Depth of slab, d mm
Cross sectional area of concrete, A b d h ( ) mm
Normal compressive force, . A f . .
Shear stud strength, f mm
Shear stud diameter, d mm
Characteristic compressive strength
of concrete, f mm
Mean elastic modulus of concrete, E mm
Overall nominal height of stud, h mm
h d .
Temperature steel at 60 minutes, .
Temperature of shear stud, . . .
Temperature of concrete, . . .
Reduction factor for shear stud, . [BS EN 1994-1-2 Table 3.2]
Reduction factor for shear stud, . [BS EN 1994-1-2 Table 3.3]

The shear resistance is given by the lower of the following;

d
P P . f

P P . . . .

. d
P P f E

.
P P . .
.

The shear resistance of a single shear stud in fire after 60 minutes was found to be 96.9kN.
Using Kingspan Multideck V-50 sheeting with a trough spacing of 150mm, the total number of shear
studs, n will be equal to L/150 = 46.

The total shear resistance, . n P . .

Degree of shear connection, . . ull composite action