Maximum steel temperatures



The typical prescriptive approach specifies the thickness of fire protection to steel elements to ensure the steel does not exceed a specified temperature for a given fire resistance period. In UK, the maximum temperatures of 550°C for columns and 620°C for beams supporting concrete floors are assumed. These temperatures are based on the assumption that a fully-stressed member at ambient conditions (designed to BS5950-1 or BS449) will lose its design safety margin when it reaches the maximum temperatures. Read more....