Design Methodologies for Hybrid Steel Beam‐Column Connections in Fire

Abstract It is widely accepted that stainless steel outperforms carbon steel during a fire, owing to its greater retention of strength, stiffness and superior ductility, at elevated temperatures. Hybrid connections, incorporating both carbon and stainless steel components, may be used to exploit this enhanced ductility to increase the fire resistance of beam‐column connections in steel‐framed structures. However, current design codes, such as EN1993‐1‐8, have been shown to not fully account for the ultimate resistance for the connection, or its corresponding ultimate ductility, resulting in over‐conservative designs. The current paper evaluates existing code provisions, proposing enhancements for the design predictions of top and seat angle connections at elevated temperatures. Design recommendations for the design of hybrid steel connections are proposed, based on parametric analyses using validated finite element models, indicating the pathway for future research to ensure the safe and accurate design of such connections for fire scenarios, thereby enhancing their resilience.