ABSTRACT
Fire is one of the most serious environmental hazards to which a steel structure can be subjected during its lifetime. This accidental action may cause a severe impact on steel structures, resulting in significant economic and public losses. People safe evacuation during a fire requires structural integrity. Steel plate girders are often placed in key points of buildings due to their capacity to support heavy loads over long spans, which highlights their importance and relevance for life safety. Shear buckling resistance is one of the most important issues to be considered when designing steel plate girders with slender cross-sections. Design rules for steel plate girders affected by shear buckling at normal temperature may be found in Part 1–5 of Eurocode 3 (EC3) [1]. Concerning fire resistance, Part 1–2 of EC3 [2] gives prescriptions for the design of steel structural elements subjected to elevated temperatures. However, there is no procedure for checking the shear buckling resistance at elevated temperatures. This work intends to fill that lack of guidance.
