BEHAVIOUR OF ALUMINIUM STRUCTURES IN FIRE, A review

Abstract

The interest in the application of aluminium as a structural material has been greatly increased in recent years. However, behaviour of aluminium structures when exposed to fire is still relatively unresearched. Due to low melting temperature of the alloy, aluminium structures have low fire resistance, but aluminium is reflective and has surface emissivity which is more than two times lower compared to carbon steel. The Eurocode facing this issue (EN 1999-1-2) is based mainly on the Eurocode for structural fire design of steel structures (EN 1993-1-2) and therefore is not fully suitable for the application on aluminium structures. Here, an overview of the structural behaviour of aluminium structures exposed to fire is given through the comparison with steel structures. As a conclusion, priorities for a future research are highlighted, which should provide a base for the next generation of modern codes for structural fire design of aluminium structures.

An optimum selection of alloy for aluminium structures exposed to fire

“…The cross-section classification was performed in accordance with [11,13]. Due to the generally low buckling resistance of aluminium elements in the event of fire, [5][6][7], the analysis was performed for a presumed resistance over a period of 5 minutes. The analysis was performed for the fire scenario with the ISO fire curve applied [14].…”

“…A special problem in civil engineering practice is the behaviour of aluminium when subjected to elevated temperatures (fire). Considering the topicality of worldwide research focusing on the behaviour of aluminium in fire [5][6][7], the studies on behaviour of aluminium alloys and structural elements in fire conditions have also been a subject of research in the Republic of Croatia [8][9][10]. Aluminium structures are sensitive to the effects of high temperature due to the high value of the thermal conductivity coefficient (>100 W/m 2 K) and the low melting point of the material (between 560-660 °C) [5][6][7].…”

“…Considering the topicality of worldwide research focusing on the behaviour of aluminium in fire [5][6][7], the studies on behaviour of aluminium alloys and structural elements in fire conditions have also been a subject of research in the Republic of Croatia [8][9][10]. Aluminium structures are sensitive to the effects of high temperature due to the high value of the thermal conductivity coefficient (>100 W/m 2 K) and the low melting point of the material (between 560-660 °C) [5][6][7]. For the case of aluminium alloys, the degradation of mechanical properties is significantly pronounced at temperatures higher than 200 °C.…”

“…The determination of the resistance of load-bearing aluminium structures in the event of high temperature (fire) is given by HRN EN 1999-1-2 [11]. A revision of the current Eurocode is currently undergoing at European level, namely the development of the 2 nd generation of European standards for aluminium structures [7].…”

Fire-Temperature Influence on Portland and Calcium Sulfoaluminate Blend Composites

“…Fire-temperature is particularly unfavorable for building joineries like windows, doors, partition and facades made of materials with low melting point and high thermal conductivity, for instance, aluminum. Temperature increases cause strength properties to decrease [ 5 , 6 ]. To meet the demanding Fire Resistance class requirements, additional infill and/or cover insulation and cooling materials are needed [ 7 , 8 ].…”