Cyclic Performance of Structural Steels after Exposure to Various Heating–Cooling Treatments

Abstract

The cyclic performance of structural steels after exposure to various elevated temperatures and cooling-down methods was experimentally investigated in this paper. Four types of frequently used structural steels were tested including Chinese mild steel Grade Q235, Chinese high-strength steel Grade Q345, and Chinese stainless steel Grade S304 and S316. A total of eighty specimens were prepared using three different heating–cooling processes before being subjected to cyclic loads. The post-fire basic features and hysteretic performances of the four types of structural steels exposed to various target temperatures (100–1000 °C), heat soak times (30 min or 180 min) and cooling-down methods (natural air or water) were recorded and discussed. The results show that all the tested structural steels prepared using different heating–cooling treatments exhibited proper ductility and energy dissipation capacity, while the heat soak times and cooling-down methods had a definite effect on their energy dissipation capacity; no Masing phenomenon was found in the tested structural steels. Finally, a set of skeleton curves were proposed for the four types of structural steels under cyclic loading based on the Ramberg–Osgood model, which could serve as the foundation for the seismic capacity evaluation of steel structures after a fire.