The Impact of Support Type on the Reliability of Steel Trusses Subjected to the Action of a Fire

Abstract

The objective of the article involves examining the impact of the type of supporting steel truss on its reliability under the conditions of a fire. The paper uses the system reliability method. Its application was preceded by the identification of kinematically admissible failure mechanisms (KAFMs) and the performance of strength-static calculations for all structural elements for a given moment of fire duration, meaning under the load of current temperature. The KAFMS were identified by the spectral analysis of the stiffness matrix. The criterion of the collapse for a single element was buckling for elements in compression and exceeding the yield strength for elements in tension. A reliability analysis and the calculation of temperature, axial forces, and the bearing capacity of individual elements were performed using original software created in the C++ language. The Cornell reliability index β was adopted as the measure of reliability. A drop in its value along with the fire development was presented for the analyzed structures. The obtained results indicate unambiguously that in the case of a structure subjected to fire action, the selection of a support method is of the utmost importance and determines its safety.