Behaviour of structural steel subjected to post-earthquake fire

The mechanical response of a structural element not only depends on the inherent properties of the materials which constitute the element, but also on the history of any previously applied loads. An important instance is the response of steel structures subjected to post-earthquake fire, whereby the behaviour of steel at high temperatures is highly dependent on the existence and intensity of any prior cyclic load. While the individual effects of cyclic and thermal loadings on structural steel have been widely investigated in the literature, the effect of their sequential action is yet to be determined. This research aims to yield a fundamental understanding of the effect of a prior history of cyclic loads on the proceeding monotonic properties of grade 300PLUS steel at high temperatures. Results indicate that the effect of prior cyclic loads should be induced into fire resistant guidelines.