Interesting article on the fire properties of steel.
The past two decades have seen great advances in understanding of the behaviour of steel in fire, and it can now justifiably be claimed that more is known about steel than any other framing material in fire. Rigorous testing, both small and large scale, has led to the development of modelling and analytical techniques that are being constantly improved by some of the UK’s leading Universities and centres for research.
These have been adopted by specialist consultancies which are at the leading edge of capability in terms of their ability to deliver efficient engineered solutions for fire in buildings. This has been accompanied by the development of a competitive and efficient fire protection industry, which has invested hugely in research and development and which delivers effective materials at a fraction of the costs of one or two decades ago. This can be compared with alternatives such as reinforced concrete, where the rules for fire are based on tests carried out over fifty years ago and where more recent testing has demonstrated significant shortcomings