Post-fire assessment and reinstatement of steel structures

Purpose This paper aims to present technical aspects of the assessment method and evaluation of fire damaged steel structures. The current work focuses on the behavior of structural normal steel (hot-rolled and cold-formed) and high-strength bolts after exposure to elevated temperatures. Information on stainless steel, cast iron and wrought iron is also presented. Design/methodology/approach Because of the complexity of the issue, an elaborate presentation of the mechanical properties influencing factors is followed. Subsequently, a wide range of experimental studies is extensively reviewed in the literature while simplified equations for determining the post-fire mechanical properties are proposed, following appropriate categorization. Moreover, the reinstatement survey is also comprehensively described. Findings Useful conclusions are drawn for the safe reuse of the structural elements and connection components. According to the parametric investigation of the aforementioned data, it can be safely concluded that the most common scenario of buildings after fire events, i.e. apart from excessively distorted structures, implies considerable remaining capacity of the structure, highlighting that subsequent demolition should not be the case, especially regarding critical infrastructure and buildings. Originality/value The stability of the structure as a whole is addressed, with aim to establish specific guidelines and code provisions for the correct appraisal and rehabilitation of fire damaged structures