ABSTRACT
Despite the importance of steel joints in fire, little work has been undertaken on their failure. This paper describes the development of a simplified model for an end plate connection, with particular emphasis on the effects of axial load on the column web. Because of the large number of variables, a component based approach is the only practicable analytical method for joint modeling under the simultaneous effects of loading, thermal degradation of materials and forces due to restraint to thermal expansion. The model has also been incorporated in the global numerical analysis of steel and composite building structures in fire conditions, enabling direct comparison with earlier test results on connections.
