Numerical study of the global behaviour of stainless steel 3D frame structures under fire conditions

Abstract With the growing use of stainless steel as a structural element, mainly due to its better corrosion resistance and aesthetic appearance than carbon steel, there has been an increase in research on the behaviour of this material. However, the research regarding stainless steel is mainly focused on isolated elements and plane (2D) structures, something that this work aimed to overcome by evaluating three‐dimensional (3D) stainless steel structures, with a focus on assessing their behaviour in a fire situation. A parametric study is presented of three‐dimensional stainless steel and carbon steel structures subjected to different fire scenarios, considering the standard fire curve ISO 834. Advanced calculation methods, using SAFIR finite element program, are employed and comparisons are made between the results obtained from the consideration of different failure criteria, demonstrating also the better fire behaviour of stainless‐steel structures compared to carbon steel.