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En utvärdering av 500 °C isotermmetoden
At the beginning of 2011, Sweden started using the European rules for structural design, the Eurocodes, instead of the previous national rules. In both the previous rules and the Eurocodes, it is possible to dimension concrete columns using tabled values. However, the required cross section measurements have increased considerably. Moreover, it is possible to dimension concrete columns using calculations, however, this is unusual.The development of a fire in a fire cell can be divided into the growth stage, the fully developed fire and the cooling phase. The duration of each phase, as well as the temperature, is dependent on a number of factors, e.g. the fire load, the size of openings and the geometry of the fire cell. In the Eurocodes there are standardized temperature-time curves that can be used in the dimensioning of a structural design, one of which is the standard temperature-time curve. The tabled values are based on this time-heat regime.When exposed to fire the strength of both concrete and reinforcements decreases. Regarding the reinforcement steel, the decrease is well documented. Concrete, however, is not a homogeneous material which makes the strength at elevated temperatures complex to determine.The dimensioning of concrete columns can be executed using tabled values. However, the objective of this report is a method called the 500 °C isotherm method. Using this method, concrete at temperatures above 500 °C is assumed not to contribute to the load bearing capacity. The residual cross-section retains its initial value of strength and modulus of elasticity. This results in a reduced cross-section. Subsequently, a reduced load bearing capacity is determined for the reinforcement steel due to the temperature. Thereafter, conventional calculation methods are used.The process of describing how the isotherm method should be implicated has been obstructed by the lack of explicit information in the Eurocodes. Furthermore, few people have knowledge about how the method should be used in practice. This has resulted in some assumptions based on logical arguments.A concrete column was evaluated for 60 and 90 minutes standard fire exposure to enable a comparison with the tabled values. The result showed that concrete columns can meet the requirements with a considerably smaller cross section. The calculated cross section measurements resulted in a value between the tabled values in the Eurocodes and those in the previous rules.Although the 500 °C isotherm method is the most simple of the simplified calculation methods, and the model in this report is limited to a circular, centrically loaded column, the method is complicated and time-consuming. It is therefore likely that it only will be used in special cases when the tabled values are inapplicable.