Numerical Analysis of Composite Beams with Shear-tab Connections Subjected to Fire

Abstract

This paper focuses on the development of detailed numerical models to predict the behavior and failure modes of composite beams with shear-tab connections subjected to combined thermal and gravity loads. The models simulate the behavior of shear-tab connections by incorporating temperature dependent material behavior, surface contact definition in the connection region, and detailed modeling of all connection components. The results of these models include connection rotation histories and composite beam displacement histories which demonstrate the effect of fire protection and fire duration on the composite beam. These models gain insight into the effect of fire protection on the composite beam behavior and axial forces in the connections. Detailed modeling techniques were benchmarked against large-scale experiments of composite beams with simple connections subjected to mechanical and thermal loads (including heating and cooling