Critical temperature of I-shaped steel profile in fire situations

Abstract The resistance of steel and other structural materials is reduced by increased temperatures in a fire situation. In the case of steel profiles under uniform temperatures, the critical temperature is defined as that which leads to collapse. The objective of this study was develop a tool to allow speedy determination of the critical temperature of columns and beams. The method used was based on the simplified procedure of the Brazilian standard and using the AcoInc software developed by the authors.The main result was the graphic tool whose similarity werenot found in the literature. The use of the tool developed in this study simplifies the use of the standard design method. One conclusion to be highlighted is one in which the critical temperature value, usually admitted in practice (550 ºC), may be unsafety.