Summary report on the First Steel Industries Fellowship 1964-1967

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Summary report on the First Steel Industries Fellowship 1964-1967

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF CANADA DIVISION OF BUILDING RESEARCH

SUMMARY REPORT ON THE FIRST STEEL INDUSTRIES FELLOWSHIP 1964-1967

by

W. W. Stanzak

Please note that this report is a private internal report of the Division of Building Research. It is essentially a progress report and is sent to you for your private i nf or rn ation , The i.nfo r rnation in this report is not avail-able for public use and therefore the report is not to be cited as a refer en c e in any publication.

Internal Report No. 353 of the

Division of Building Research

Ottawa October 1967

PREFACE

The Division in 1964 entered into an agreeITlent with the steel industry of Canada, represented at that tirn e by the Steel Industries Advisory Council, for the establislunent of a Steel Industries Fellowship at the National Research Council. The steel industry agreed to support a Fellow to be assigned to the staff of the Fire Research Section. The topics for study, which by prior a g r e ernerrt were to be concerned with the action of steel under fire exposure, were selected by the Fellowship Cornrn.it.te e c orrrpo s ed of rn errib e r s from the steel industry and from DBR/NRC, with an industry representative as chairman.

Mr. W. W. Stanzak, a rn e c ha.ni c a l engineer, was appointed as the fir st Steel Industries Fellow and is the author of this report, which covers the term of the first Fellowship agreement from September 1964 to August 1967.

It was agreed that the Fellow need not work on projects on his own, and that he could participate in projects of mutual interest jointly with colleagues within the Division. The final summary report which is now presented thus cover s all work of interest in which the Fellow had a part.

N. B. Hutcheon, Assistant Director. Ottawa

SUMMAR Y REPORT ON THE FIRST STEEL

INDUSTRIES FELLOWSHIP 1964-1967

by

w.

Research activities under the first Steel Industries

Fellowship program were initiated in September 1964 and terminated

on 31 August 1967. Work under the Fellowship was carried out in the

laboratories of the Division of Building Research, National Research

Council of Canada. The immediate direction of the work was by

DBR/NRC in accord with general directives agreed upon by the Steel Industries Fellowship Committee.

The Committee was a joint one with r epr esentation from the steel industry and DBR/NRC, the chairman being from the

steel industry. Although it was originally planned to have the

Committee meet every six months, only three meetings during

the term proved to be necessary - on 25 August 1964, 13 May 1965,

and 5 April 1966. Progress reports of the work were sent to members

of the Committee at intervals throughout the term, either by letter or as detailed reports.

GENERAL OBJECTIVES AND ACCOMP LISHMENTS

The program was devised to accomplish general objectives as follows:

Development of fire performance information on steel structural elements.

Development of procedures for the prediction of fire performance of steel building elements in particular and building constructions

in general.

It was agreed as a matter of policy that, wherever appropriate, the work of the Fellow would be closely integrated with that of the Fire Research Section, and that n o attempt should be made

2

-to maintain sharp dividing lines between work which he accornplished largely by himself and that in which he co-operated with NRC colleagues. Reports and publications as well as the following projects, therefore, cover m uch work carried out jointly as well as independently by the Fellow:

Fire p e rfo r rna.n.ce inf or mati on has been developed for gypsum- sanded plaster protection to steel c o lumn s

and b e arn s , This i.nfo r rrra ti on rnay be used for assigning fire ratings.

A good under standing of the structural behaviour of airnplyv supp or ted steel b e arn s and b earnc fl o o r sections, both c ornp o site and nonv c ornpo site, under fire exposure has been attained. Colurnn action has also been thoroughly

studied Er orn a theoretical standpoint. Capabilities exist for predicting the fire endurance tirn e s of a number of constructions by numerical rn e th od s , Methods which can be used to extend the application of fire test data also exist.

The usefulness of a sheet steel rn ernb r arie as a protection against fire for steel b earn s has been d ern on s t.r a te.d,

The work listed above provides a greatly irrip r ov ed basis for the under standing of the behaviour of s irrrpl e steel building e l erri e nts under fire conditions. Sorn e possibilities for future research under the Steel Industries' Fellowship are proposed in a following Section.

Publications and Reports

The publications and reports that have been completed or are now in process provide the pe rrriarient record of ac c ornp Ii shrn ent, The listing and brief description now given also serve as a review of the work which was done. These publications naturally also reflect the way in which the efforts of the Fellow were combined in many cases with those of his NRC colleagues.

One of the first a s s ig nrn en ts undertaken was a literature review which resulted in the publication of a Bibliography:

3

-The Behaviour of Steel in Building Fires by W. W. Stanzak, April 1965. DBR Bibliography No. 30.

This is an annotated bibliography compiling the literature considered pertinent to the behaviour of steel in building fires.

The Fellow assisted with certain phases of a project already in hand at the time he began his work, leading to the publication of the following Technical Paper:

Fire Endurance of Protected Steel Columns and Beams by M. Galbreath and W. W. S'tanz ak , DBR Technical Paper 194, NRC 8379, April 1965.

A compilation of published information on fire endurance of protected steel columns and beams by a number of test methods.

Results obtained from work which was essentially in the nature of testing, of particular interest in the evaluation of constructions as to fire endurance have been, or are to be published in the Fire

Studies series by DBR/NRC as follows:

1.

Gypsum-Sanded Plaster by W. W. Stanz ak , DBR Fire Study No. 16, NRC 9474, March 1967.

Three fire tests on wide flange beam sections are described and the results generalized.

The results provide the minimum fire resistance times for beams with this type of protection and are suitable for assigning ratings applicable to a large variety of constructions.

2. Fire Test on a Wide-Flange Steel Beam Protected with a One-Inch Gypsum-Sanded Plaster Suspended Ceiling Membrane by W. W. Stanz ak , DBR Fire Study No. 19, NRC 9764, August 1967.

A fire test on a beam section provided with a steel deck and concrete topping is described. The test

4

-yielded a 2-hour fire resistance classification as was intended.

3. Fire Tests of 8 Wide-Flange Steel Col.umn s Protected with Gypsum-Sanded Plaster by W. W. Stanzak and E. O. Porteous. DBR Fire Study No. 20, NRC 9768, September 1967.

The results of a series of fire tests intended to supply fire resistance ratings for c o lurnn s pro-tected with gypswn- sanded plaster in various thicknesses is described. The sections tested were also chosen so as to provide information regarding the influence of c olumn size on the fire endurance time. It was found that for fire endurance times up to 2 hours, c o lurnn size could be ignored for general rating purposes, when membrane type of protection is used.

Several Research Papers were prepared and have been or will be published as follows. One of these, with N. S. Pearce, is a joint paper with Underwriters' Laboratories of Canada.

1. Load and Fire Test Data on Steel-Supported Floor Assemblies by N. S. Pearce and W. W. Stanz ak, ASTM Special Technical Publication STP 422, August 1967.

Information gained from standard load and fire tests on 11 steel- supported constructions is presented. An elastic analysis of an idealized composite steel-concrete beam is developed and a definition for the degree of composite action inherent in test specimens is proposed. The restraint afforded by the test frame and its importance to continued composite action during the fire test are examined.

The degree of composite action is calculated for a numb e r of assemblies, and the mechanism of load failure during fire test is discussed briefly.

5

-Using this information, some aspects of present fire test practice are examined and possible improvements are suggested.

2. The Creep Properties of Structural Steels by T. Z. Harmathy and W. W. Stanzak (to be published).

The creep properties of three commonly used construction steels are presented, as well as the short time tensile properties. A pre-stressing steel, ASTM A-36, and CSA G40. 12 steels were studied.

3. Effect of Deck Heat Capacity on the Fire Performance of Steel Beams by W. W. Stanzak and T.Z. Harmathy (to be published).

A method for calculating the critical temperature (steel temperature at the time of failure during a fire test) of steel beams is described. It is

proposed that this critical temperature is

independent of the heat capacity of the floor deck although it is dependent on the structural character-istics of the floor and the beam-floor as s ernb ly , The results of three fire tests on beams with decks of different heat capacity demonstrating the validity of this proposal are described and some recommen-dations for using critical temperature as a basis for as signing fire resistance ratings are put forward.

Three Technical Notes have been prepared: 1. Possibilities for Large-Scale Fire Tests Employing Expo

Temporary Buildings by W. W. Stanz ak, DBR Technical Note 482, April 1967. (Prepared for limited distribution. )

2. Calibration of DBR Floor Furnace Loading System by W. W. Stariz ak , DBR Technical Note No. 491, July 1967. (Prepared for record purposes. )

6

-3. Behaviour of Structural Steel in Fire: Report of a Symposium held at the Fire Research Station, Boreham Wood, England, 24 January 1967 by W. W. Stanz ak, DBR Technical Note No. 492, August 1967. (Prepared for inquiry and record.)

Two Internal Reports have been prepared on work which has reached a useful stage but which is not yet sufficiently complete for publication:

1. The Behaviour of Steel Columns at Elevated Temperatures by W. W. Stanz ak,

This work is an attempt to gather in one volume all theoretical treatments of the fire endurance of steel columns known at present. Many portions of the report deal with the extension of known

methods and original work by the author. Emphasis is placed on calculations extending the usefulness of existing fire test methods.

2. Preliminary Investigation into the Use of Sheet Metal as a

Membrane Protection for Steel Beams and Columns by W. W. Stariz.ak , The report describes the results of fire tests

carried out in a feasibility study on sheet steel

membrane protection. The tests showed that because of its ability to remain in place when properly

fastened, sheet steel has good possibilities as a fire protective material when used in combination with

some economical form of insulation. OTHER WORK

The Fellow was involved in many smaller activities not reflected directly in publications or reports. In some cases this work has already been exploited, though it does not appear directly. In other cases the results are held within the laboratory records of the Fire Research Section and will be more fully exploited in future work and publications.

7

-It has been a policy of the Fire Research Section to develop as complete information as possible regarding the pro-perties of materials. Extensive laboratory analyses have been

carried out on the following materials: mineral fibreboard, gypsurn-sanded plaster, and asbestos-cement board. The results of these analyses were for use in developing calculation procedures using a high- speed digital computer. Such procedures deal with heat flow calculations and structural performance of steel elements at elevated temperatures.

Two important Computer Programs are now operative to be used in connection with future research:

1.

constructions (e. g. membrane-protected floors).

The first will be very useful in calculating the fire endurance of steel building elements in an actual structure; the second may be used to calculate the fire resistance of membrane-protected constructions. These programs are a part of the Fire Research Section's efforts toward being able to handle fire endurance problems without having to perform full- scale tests. Mr. T. Z. Harmathy has been largely responsible for developing the necessary procedures in this approach.

The Section's small furnace has been used extensively to study the fire endurance of membrane constructions and the effect of openings in the membrane on the fire endurance time. Unfortunately, time did not permit extension of this work to the large floor furnace. Exploratory tests show that small openings in the protective membrane, if covered by a steel sheet (to simulate the effect of a fire damper), do not affect the fire endurance time to a great extent. This should be demonstrated by conducting some standard fire tests on appropriate membrane-protected constructions.

The small furnace has also been used to conduct a large number of rupture tests on Type X gypsum wallboard in an effort to develop a test method capable of classifying these in a generic manner.

8

-The efforts so far have met with only partial success in that Type X wallboard is easily distinguishable from plain gypsum wallboard, but

not readily distinguishable from Type XX, Type Super X, etc.

A considerable amount of time was spent in adapting the floor furnace and the loading system to be suitable for performing

fire tests on steel beams. It was finally decided to use two-point

loads, rather than a simulated uniformly distributed load, because this leaves less possibility for misalignment and reduces the friction loss in the loading system.

The Fellow also attempted to keep in touch with Code

work, in particular with the workings of the Fire Test Board, which

is responsible for Fire Performance Ratings, Supplement No. 2 to

the National Building Code 1965. It was considered an important

aspect of the Fellowship program for the Fellow to become familiar with the procedures by which building regulations are developed.

TRAVEL

Before taking up his term at DBR/NRC the Fellow became acquainted with some aspects of the Canadian Steel Industry

by making plant visits to: Algoma Steel Corporation, Columbia Metal

Rolling Mills, Dominion Foundries and Steel Co. Ltd , , Robertson-Irwin

Co. Ltd. and The Steel Company of Canada Ltd. There was little travel

during the fir st year of the Fellowship except for some discus sions with representatives of various steel companies regarding the supply of creep

test samples. In September 1965, while on a personal holiday in Europe,

the Fellow visited the German Institute of Steel Construction in Cologne

and Conrad Zschokke A. G. in Switzerland.

In June 1966 Messrs. Pearce (Underwriterst _Laboratories

of Canada) and the Fellow presented a joint paper "Load and Fire Test Data on Steel-Supported Floor Assemblies" to the ASTM Symposium on

Restraint in Fire Tests, held at Atlantic City. Partly as a result of the

Symposium, the Fellow made a three-day visit to the Building Research

Laboratory at the Ohio State University in Columbus. There he studied

the facilities and had discussions with the Director, Professor R. W.

9

-Messrs. Harmathy and Stanzak attended a one-day Symposium on the Behaviour of Structural Steel in Fire at the Fire Research Station, Boreham Wood, England in January 1967. There they presented the paper "Temperature Criteria of Failure of Steel-Supported Floor s and Beams in Fire." Following the Symposium they visited the Fire Research Station and the Building Research Station. POSSIBILITIES FOR FUTURE RESEARCH UNDER THE STEEL INDUSTRIESI FELLOWSHIP

These possibilities are proposed in consideration of the present equipment and staff of the Fire Research Section. With additional equipment and staff a number of other ideas may present themselves, but the following are offered as possible starting points:

1.

The creep properties of all widely used structural steels (including high strength, low alloy steels) could be studied so that the predictive capacity that has been developed can be fully exploited and further extended.

2. Mem.brane Protection

In the general area of membrane protection the work that has been done in the small furnace might be extended to the floor furnace to provide information on the effects of openings in the membrane. The possibilities of the sheet steel protective membrane could also be further investigated.

3. Fire Tests

Standard fire tests might be carried out on beams and columns for protective materials which can be classified generically. Gypsum wallboard is an example of such a material.

4. Restrained Elements

The behaviour of restrained building elements in fire is not well understood. It is known that restraint improves the fire endurance

10

-but no studies have yet resulted in rn e thod s by which restraint (or lack of restraint) can be taken into account when interpreting fire test data. Since steel el em ent.s in building structures are always restrained to SOIne extent, a nurnb e r of interesting and useful research projects on this subject m ight be undertaken. These should be theoretical as well as exp e r irnental ,

5. The Steel FraIne

It follows f'r om (4) that the rnaj or a irn of research under the Fellowship is to be able to under stand the behaviour of the steel

fr arn e in fire. SOIne i.nfo.rrna ri on can be obtained relatively quickly by pe rfor m ing full- scale tests in suitable building s , Considering the state of present knowledge, however, this does not s e ern advisable. A m or e reasonable approach would be a

thorough theoretical investigation of the p r ob Iern, using a high-speed digital corrrpute r ,

CONCLUSION

This report sumrna riz e s briefly the activities that have taken place during the te r m of the fir st Steel Industries!

Fellow-ship (1964-1967). After all reports and papers connected with the

Fellowship have been passed to the Cornrnitte e it will be useful to discuss critically the work that has been done, with a view to planning

a course for future research. It Inay also be appropriate to reconsider

the te r m s of reference for research to be done under the Fellowship a r r ang ernerrt, in the light of the experience with this first three-year pr og r am ,