Experimental and numerical investigation of reduced web section connections in fire

This paper presents the details and analysis of a fire test conducted on a reduced web section (RWS) connection for steel framed construction. The test was completed in the fire laboratory at Tampere University in order to assess how these connections, usually selected and designed for their seismic performance, behave under fire conditions. RWS connections were first devised for fixed joints in steel framed buildings, with a view to moving the plastic hinge away from the column face during an extreme event such as an earthquake, thus improving the ductility of the structure. Until now, there was very little known of their behaviour under fire conditions. Accordingly, the current paper provides a detailed description and analysis of the fire test on a RWS connection, during which the arrangement lasted for around 16 minutes of standard fire exposure. It also describes the development of a numerical model, which is validated against the test data. The purpose of the model is to enable a more thorough examination of the various parameters and variables that may exist in a real structure, subjected to a real fire.