Calculation Sheet

Project No: CIV 6000 Sheet No: 1

Project: Fire resistance and protection of a tension member to Office: University of Sheffield
BS EN 1993-1-2 using the critical temperature method Computed: JAS/07/10
Checked:

Design concept
Steel tension member located in an office building where 60 minutes of fire
resistance is required. For this example the member is subjected to the standard fire
curve

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 500m 2 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, Try 127x76x13UB
Steel strength, f mm
Gross area of section, A mm
Partial material factor for resistance of-
cross section, . [EN 1993-1-1 cl.6.1 Recommended by UK NA]

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

Loading;
Permanent , .
Primary variable, .
Calculation Sheet
Project No: CIV 6000 Sheet No: 2
Project: Fire resistance and protection of a tension member to Office: University of Sheffield
BS EN 1993-1-2 using the critical temperature method Computed: JAS/07/10
Checked:

Partial factor for permanent action, .

Partial factor for primary variable action, .
Design load, . .
. . .

Design resistance at ambient temperature [EN 1993-1-1 cl.6.2.3]

Design resistance,

.
.
.
. .
.

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

Combination factors, . .
.
. . . .
Reduction factor, . . . .
.

Design load in fire, . . .

Design resistance in fire (calculated at t s and temperature a=20°C) [EN 1993-1-2 cl.4.2.3.1]
Partial material factor in fire, . [EN 1993-1-2 cl.2.3 Recommended by UK NA]
Strength reduction factor at ambient-
temperature where a=20°C .
Design resistance in fire,
. . . . .

Critical temperature [EN 1993-1-2 cl.4.2.4]

Degree of utilisation, . . .
Critical temperature, .

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: [FiRE1]

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]
Calculation Sheet
Project No: CIV 6000 Sheet No: 3
Project: Fire resistance and protection of a tension member to Office: University of Sheffield
BS EN 1993-1-2 using the critical temperature method Computed: JAS/07/10
Checked:

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
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 10.8 minutes. For this
example we require a resistance period of 60 minutes. It is proposed that the steel section is boxed in
20mm of Gypsum board 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
Calculation Sheet
Project No: CIV 6000 Sheet No: 4
Project: Fire resistance and protection of a tension member to Office: University of Sheffield
BS EN 1993-1-2 using the critical temperature method Computed: JAS/07/10
Checked:

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 FiRE1 spreadsheet it was found that the Gypsum board 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.