Modelling heated composite floor slabs with reference to the Cardington experiments

Abstract

This paper describes a method of modelling composite floor slabs in fire conditions using a stress-resultant approach. The FEAST suite, which consists of two main computer programs is described. The first, SRAS, is designed to model the behaviour of arbitrary orthotropic plate sections at elevated temperatures. The second program, FEAI, interfaces with the finite element package ABAQUS, allowing realistic models of the behaviour of whole structures in fire conditions to be obtained. The paper describes how SRAS was used to analyse the floor slab of the Cardington fire tests and results showing the behaviour of the slab under a variety of loading conditions are presented. The suitability of FEAI as a key component in the analysis of redundant structures under fire conditions is briefly demonstrated.