MACRO-ELEMENT MODEL OF A STEEL MOMENT FRAME SUBJECTED TO FIRE-INDUCED COLUMN LOSS

A progressive collapse mitigation strategy is to ensure load redistribution when a column fails due to fire. The study seeks to understand whether welded unreinforced flange-bolted web (WUF-B) moment connections can effectively redistribute loads in a structural system subjected to fire when a critical column is lost. A component (or macro-element) model was derived to simulate the WUF-B connection and validated against experimental tests and high-resolution finite element (FE) models of subassemblies at room temperature and at elevated temperature. The component model was then utilized in a 2D macro FE model of a ten-story steel-framed building subjected to the loss of a column during long fire exposure. This paper presents the collapse mechanisms and quantifies structural performance based on acceptance criteria. A parametric study on location of column loss and fire occurrence is also included