Behavior of Bolted Connections During and After a Fire

This book is the outcome of Liang Yus research work as a Ph.D. candidate supervised by Dr. Karl Frank in The University of Texas at Austin from 2001 to 2006. Inspired by the collapse of the World Trade Center Towers, the behavior of bolted connections during and after a fire was studied by both experimental and analytical methods. The results from large amount of high temperature tests on A325 and A490 high strength bolts and bolted connections under and post temperatures up to 1500 Fahrenheit are included. Finite element analyses are conducted to evaluate the catenary effects of steel beams at elevated temperatures and its loads on bolted connections. Methodology of designing bolted connections at elevated temperatures is put forward by interpolating the test and analytical results. This book provides valuable information for the design of bolted connections with better safety during and after a fire.