Temperature analysis of partially heated steel members in fire

Analytical methods for the evaluation of temperature distribution of steel members in fire are readily available in codes of practice. These methods are usually based on uniform sections under fully engulfed fire conditions. In reality, structural members are often subject to partial heating fire conditions such as members passing through multiple fire compartments or subject to localised fires. At present, little guidance is given for temperature calculation of steel members subject to partial heating fire conditions. Evaluating the temperature distribution of steel members in such situations is important as the results may determine the extent of fire protection required for these members. This paper describes a numerical study on the temperature distribution of a partially heated steel member using a simple finite difference scheme with parametrically coded generic elements. The results are compared with the approximated method given in Eurocodes whereby the average temperature of a partially heated steel member can be calculated. It is shown that the proposed finite difference scheme can accurately predict the temperature distribution of steel members and provides a means for assessing their fire protection requirements.