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Ultimate Strength of Uniaxially Compressed

Mild Steel Plate at Elevated Temperatures

ARTICLE in JOURNAL OF STRUCTURAL FIRE ENGINEERING · DECEMBER 2013

DOI: 10.1260/2040-2317.4.4.245

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Ultimate Strength of Uniaxially Compressed Mild Steel Plate
at Elevated Temperatures

by

V. Innasi Raja, M. Suneel Kumar and P. Jayabalan

Reprinted from

Journal of
Structural Fire
Engineering
Volume 4 · Number 4 · December 2013

Multi-Science Publishing
ISSN 2040-2317
 245

Ultimate Strength of Uniaxially

Compressed Mild Steel Plate at
Elevated Temperatures
V. Innasi Raja1, M. Suneel Kumar2* and P. Jayabalan3
1M.Tech Graduate Student, Dept of Civil Engineering, NIT, Tiruchirappalli – 620 015
(TN), INDIA (innasiraja@gmail.com)
2Former Professor, Dept of Civil Engineering, AITS, Tirupati – 517520 (AP), INDIA

(suneel78@rediffmail.com)
3Professor, Dept of Civil Engineering, NIT, Tiruchirappalli – 620 015 (TN), INDIA

(pjeya@nitt.edu)

ABSTRACT
Mild steel plates used in buildings and offshore platforms are prone to fire accidents.
These plates being ductile are designed effectively for buckling and ultimate strength
characteristics under static loads. These characteristics get drastically affected due to
reduction in stiffness of the stress strain characteristics of mild steel with increase in
temperatures. This paper presents a numerical study conducted on clamped plates at
elevated constant temperature for the assessment of reduced buckling and ultimate
strengths. Coupled Nonlinear static thermal analysis on clamped plates was performed
using standard FE software ANSYS®. Both geometric and material nonlinearities are
considered in the analysis. The study comprises of plates with varying aspect ratio (1 to
4) and breadth to thickness (28 to 128) at constant elevated temperatures of 0 °C, 200 °C,
400 °C, 600 °C and 800 °C. Nondimensional plate slenderness ratios based on AISC and
Eurocode at elevated temperature was evaluated. Several charts showing normalised
buckling stress vs temperature and normalised ultimate strength vs temperature for varied
nondimensional plate slenderness ratio and plate aspect ratios are drawn. The buckling
and ultimate strengths from this study are found to be underestimated in comparison to
Eurocode and AISC calculations. The reduction in buckling and ultimate strength was
found to be significant beyond 400 °C. It is observed that for all plate aspect ratios, the
effect of plate breadth to thickness ratio is important for temperatures below 500°C and at
800°C ultimate strength of plate is only about 10% of that of at normal temperature.

Keywords: Ultimate strength, temperature, reduction, steel plate, and finite element
analysis.

1. INTRODUCTION
Steel plates are widely used in buildings due to the advantages of high strength to weight ratio, good
ductility, incombustible, fast fabrication and erection. However, without fire protection steel structures
may suffer serious damage or even collapse in a fire catastrophe. This is because the mechanical
properties of steel deteriorate by heat during fire. But the basic consideration is that the building should
be capable of maintaining its structural integrity during a fire over a period of time so that the occupants
can exit safely. Although the steel is an incombustible material, it has a high heat conducting value,
which adversely affects the structural performance during fire exposure. This study is aimed to assess
the ultimate strength of uniaxially compressed steel plate at elevated temperatures for different aspect
ratios and breadth to thickness ratio.

Corresponding author: M. Suneel Kumar Tel: +91-9441544711, Fax: +91-877-2285608

Volume 4 · Number 4 · 2013

246 Ultimate Strength of Uniaxially Compressed Mild Steel Plate
at Elevated Temperatures

A brief review of past studies of strength of plates at elevated temperature is presented here.
Guedes Soares et al. (1998) studied the elasto-plastic behaviour of steel plates subjected to heat load
and observed that the maximum load carrying capacity of the plate is often in the temperature range
from 100 to 200 °C . The post collapse strength was similar, although the collapse load depends on the
initial temperature of the plate. It was also found that the effect of imperfection on the ultimate load
was negligible for plates with b/t > 60.
Richard Liew et al.(1998) studied the effect of fire in single story semi-rigid steel portal frame and
observed that the severity of a natural fire depends on fire load and the ventilation available. The
limiting temperature varying from 600 – 700 °C was the same for the frame with different fire exposure
but the critical times were noticeably different.
Guedes Soares and Teixeira (2000) studied the strength of plates subjected to localised heat loads
and observed that for the plate with 6 % heated area an increase in temperature led to small decrease
of the plate strength, but the post buckling behaviour was insensitive to increases in temperature. It was
also shown that the strength decreases rapidly due to a degradation of the material properties when the
heated area increases beyond 50 % of the total plate area.
Guedes Soares et al. (2000) studied the strength of plates subjected to heat loads and lateral pressure.
It was observed that normal levels of lateral pressure (i.e., up to 10 m water depth) did not change the
form of the average stress-temperature curve of the square plate and thus the curve with lateral pressure
may be estimated from the plate without pressure by introducing a correction factor.
Kuo-Chen Yang and Rejia Hsu (2009) studied the behaviour of centrally loaded steel columns at
elevated temperature. A series of experimental studies were conducted to examine the behaviour of
steel column subjected to axial load at elevated temperatures aimed at examining the effect of the
width-to-thickness ratio of flanges and the slenderness ratio of steel columns on the ultimate strength.
It is observed that column behaviour is sensitive to width-to-thickness ratio and the slenderness ratio at
temperatures below 550°C.
Spencer and Maria (2010) studied the buckling strength of plates exposed to fire. Series of
computational analyses were conducted to plot ultimate strength curves at elevated temperature and
simple continuous equations to calculate the ultimate strength of steel plates is proposed. This equation
is compared with AISC and Eurocode and found that the method is a slight improvement over Eurocode
method and AISC method.
A review of literature indicated that studies on plates at elevated temperatures are limited. There is
further scope to study the behaviour of mild steel plates for temperatures beyond 200oC and for heated
area more than 50 % of plate area which is crucial (Guedes Soares and Teixeira, 2000). Studies are not
reported for the entire plate area subjected to elevated temperature. Since, mild steel absorbs heat and
spreads at a rapid rate; there is practical significance to study the behaviour of these steel plates at
elevated temperatures. Thus, this study is aimed to determine their behaviour, buckling and ultimate
strength characteristics with clamped condition at all ends subjected to uniaxial loading.

2. STEEL PROPERTIES AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURES

The thermal and mechanical properties of structural steel are essential for clear understanding of the
behaviour of steel under fire. Several experimental studies have been done in the past to study the
behaviour of steel at elevated temperature. In the present study, the stress-strain curve of steel at
elevated temperature was used from the European recommendation (Eurocode 3 part 1.2).
Fig 1 shows the stress-strain curves for different temperatures 0, 200, 400, 600 and 800 °C. The
values for intermediate temperature can be obtained by interpolation. From figure 1, it is observed that
stress-strain behaviour becomes nonlinear with increasing temperature. Reduction in ultimate stress is
comparatively less for temperature up to 400 °C. The strength of steel reduces rapidly for temperatures
beyond 400°C. As the stress-strain curve is nonlinear at elevated temperature, yield stress can be taken
at 0.2 % strain level. For different grade of steel, stress-strain curve can be obtained by scaling the
curve.

Journal of Structural Fire Engineering

V. Innasi Raja, M. Suneel Kumar and P. Jayabalan 247

Figure 1. Stress-strain curves for different temperatures of mild steel (Fe360)

(Guedes Soares et al. 1998)

The reduction factors of stress-strain relationship are taken from Euro code 3 part 1.2 (Fig 2). It can be
noticed that the yield stress decreases from 400 °C where the reduction in Young’s modulus starts from

Figure 2. Reduction factor for the Stress-strain relationship of steel at elevated

temperature (Eurocode 3 part 1.2)

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248 Ultimate Strength of Uniaxially Compressed Mild Steel Plate
at Elevated Temperatures

100 °C. According to Eurocode 3 Part 1.2 at about 1200 °C yield stress and Young’s modulus values
are taken as zero though the melting point of steel is 1550 °C.

2.1 Plate slenderness ratio at normal temperature

Plate slenderness ratio at normal temperature (β) is the main governing factor though boundary
condition, aspect ratio and initial distortions are also important parameters. Nondimensionalised plate
slenderness ratio defined by Smith (1975) is given as

b σy
β= (1)
t E

Where σy – Yield stress E - Young’s modulus b – Breadth of plate t – Thickness of plate

Since the mechanical properties (σy and E) of the plate change with temperature, as it is difficult to
calculate the plate slenderness ratio at elevated temperature, the plate breadth to thickness (b/t) ratio
can be used as an indication of the plate slenderness.

2.2 Plate slenderness ratio at elevated temperature

Plate slenderness ratio at elevated temperature is dependent on Poisson’s ratio, Young’s modulus, ratio
of breadth to thickness (b/t) and reduction factors based on temperature. According to Eurocode and
AISC, plate slenderness ratio at elevated temperatures is given by equations (3) and (4) respectively.
The ratio of critical strength to yield strength can also be conveniently expressed in terms of the non-
dimensional plate slenderness ratio (λP), (Spencer and Maria, 2010)

σy 12(1 −µ 2 )b / t)2 σ y
λP = = (2)
σ cr kπ 2E

where σcr - buckling stress σy - yield stress

As per Eurocode , (Spencer E. Quiel -2010)

b
2

12(1 −µ 2 )   σ 0.2 k0.2T

σ 0.2 k0.2T t
λPT (Eurocode) = = (3)
σ crT k π 2 EkET

As per AISC, (AISC, 2001)(Spencer E. Quiel -2010)

b
2

12(1 −µ 2 )   σ y kyT
σ y kyT t
λPT (AISC) = = (4)
σ crT k π 2 EkET

Where
b Breadth of plate
t Thickness of plate
k Buckling coefficient
µ Poisson’s ratio
σ0.2 Proof stress at 0.2% plastic strain
k0.2T -Reduction factor for proof stress

Journal of Structural Fire Engineering

V. Innasi Raja, M. Suneel Kumar and P. Jayabalan 249

E Young’s modulus
kET Reduction factor for Young’s modulus
σcrT Buckling stress at temperature T °C
σy Yield stress
kyT Reduction factor for yield stress

The effect of temperature on plate slenderness ratio is plotted and shown in Fig. 3 using the equation
(3). Based on Eurocode 3, there is increase in non dimensionalised plate slenderness ratio (λpT) for all
b/t up to 400 °C; beyond which remains constant up to 600 °C. Further increase in temperature leads
decrease in λpT up to 800 °C.
Based on AISC, it is observed that non dimensionalised plate slenderness ratio (λpT) increases with
temperature up to 600 °C and then decreases beyond 600 °C with increase in temperature.

Figure 3. Plate slenderness ratio vs. Temperature

3. NUMERICAL STUDY
The present study deals with the effect of temperature on buckling load and ultimate strength of a
clamped plate. Mild steel plate of thickness 6 mm is considered for all the specimens in the entire study.
The breadth and length are varied as 170, 340, 510 and 765 mm in combination such that plate aspect
ratios of 1, 2, 3 and 4 are obtained and shown in Table 1. The selected value of plate slenderness ratios
(β = 1.0 – 4.0) are within the practical range of ship construction practice (Smith, 1975). The yield
strength, Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio of steel plate at ambient temperature are assumed as 350
N/mm2, 2.1 x 105 N/mm2 and 0.3 correspondingly.
A general purpose FE software ANSYS is used for modelling, analysis and post processing of plate
under uniaxial load at elevated temperature. A four noded quadrilateral isoparametric linear shell
element (SHELL181) available in the ANSYS element library is used for modelling the plate. This
element is well suitable for analysing the linear, large rotation, and/large strain nonlinear applications.
The element has six degrees of freedom at each node viz. three translations in UX, UY and UZ, and three
rotations RX, RY and RZ (Fig. 4).

Volume 4 · Number 4 · 2013

250 Ultimate Strength of Uniaxially Compressed Mild Steel Plate
at Elevated Temperatures

Table 1. Details of parametric study

Breadth Plate slenderness Aspect

Thickness (t)
Sl.No (b) ratio ratio Specimen
mm mm b/t
1 B1L1
2 B1L2
1 170 6 28 1
3 B1L3
4 B1L4
1 B2L1
2 B2L2
2 340 6 57 2
3 B2L3
4 B2L4
1 B3L1
2 B3L2
3 510 6 85 3
3 B3L3
4 B3L4
1 B4L1
2 B4L2
4 765 6 128 4
3 B4L3
4 B4L4

Reactive edge:
UX, UY, UZ, RX, RY, RZ = 0

Unloaded edge:
UX, UZ, RX, RY, RZ = 0

Unloaded edge:

UX, UZ, RX, RY, RZ = 0

Loading edge:
Y
UX, UZ, RX, RY, RZ = 0

Z
Figure 4. Finite element model of steel plate

Journal of Structural Fire Engineering

V. Innasi Raja, M. Suneel Kumar and P. Jayabalan 251

Both geometric and material non-linearities are considered in the analysis. Clamped boundary
condition along all the edges is considered. At reactive edge all degrees of freedoms are constrained
and at other three edges only displacement UY is released. Incremental load is applied up to and beyond
collapse as shown in Fig 5.

Figure 5. Steel plate

Table 2. Mesh convergence study

Size of
No. of Ultimate load
Sl.No. Plate size (mm) element
Elements (kN )
(mm)
1 170 x 170 4x4 42.5 417
2 170 x 170 6x6 28.3 416
3 170 x 170 8x8 21.25 415
4 170 x 170 10 x 10 17 415

Newton–Raphson iterative procedure in the initial stage of loading and then arc length method is used
to trace the post peak axial load/axial deformation behaviour. Summation of axial force at all the nodes
along the loading edge for every displacement increment gives the axial load acting on the specimen.
Graph is plotted between each displacement and axial load to find ultimate load. The Ultimate load of
the specimens is determined from the peak of axial load/axial deformation plots. Based on the
convergence study as shown in Table 2, it is found that the mesh size of 25 mm × 25 mm is the
optimum mesh and was used for the analysis of all specimens in this study. A representative graph of
Axial displacement contour is shown in Fig 6. The model was validated with the buckling load
calculated according to classical formula as shown below (Timoshenko and Gere, 2010).

kπ 2E
σ cr = (5)
b
2

12(1 −µ 2 )  
t

Volume 4 · Number 4 · 2013

252 Ultimate Strength of Uniaxially Compressed Mild Steel Plate
at Elevated Temperatures

Figure 6. Displacement contour

The load vs b/t ratio curve shown in Fig. 7 is in good comparison with analytical method.

Figure 7. Plot of buckling load vs. Breadth to thickness ratio

Journal of Structural Fire Engineering

 V. Innasi Raja, M. Suneel Kumar and P. Jayabalan 253

4. RESULT AND DISCUSSION

4.1 Influence of temperature on buckling stress
The buckling stress of steel plates of different aspect ratios and b/t ratios was evaluated using ANSYS
and plotted with respect to temperature and plate slenderness ratio. Fig 8.1 to 8.5 show comparisons of
buckling stresses obtained from the present study and classical formula for temperatures of 0 to 800°C.
Plate slenderness ratio (λPT) at elevated temperature is calculated according to equation (3). From the
figures it is observed that buckling stress is inversely proportional to plate slenderness ratio and the

Figure 8.1. Normalised buckling stress Figure 8.2. Normalised buckling stress
curve at Temperature 0°C curve at Temperature 200°C

Figure.8.3. Normalised buckling stress Figure 8.4. Normalised buckling stress

curve at Temperature 400°C curve at Temperature 600°C

Volume 4 · Number 4 · 2013

254 Ultimate Strength of Uniaxially Compressed Mild Steel Plate
at Elevated Temperatures

Figure 8.5. Normalised buckling stress

curve at Temperature 800°C

buckling stress obtained from the present study is more conservative than that obtained from classical
formula. Fig. 9 shows the plot of buckling stress versus temperature which confirms that the buckling
stress decreases with increasing temperature.

Figure 9. Buckling stress at elevated temperature

Journal of Structural Fire Engineering

 V. Innasi Raja, M. Suneel Kumar and P. Jayabalan 255

4.2 Influence of temperature on ultimate strength

To find the effect of temperature on ultimate strength of steel plate, load versus temperature curves are
plotted for varied b/t ratios and different aspect ratio as shown in Fig. 10.1 to 10.4. From these curves
it can be concluded that the ultimate strength is indirectly proportional to the temperature. It is also
observed that the ultimate strength reduces gradually up to 400°C and beyond 400°C it reduces rapidly.
At 800°C all the plates retained only 10% of its strength at ambient temperature.

Figure 10.1. Load vs Temperature curves Figure 10.2. Load vs Temperature curves
for various b/t ratios (L/b = 1) for various b/t ratios (L/b = 2)

Figure 10.3. Load vs Temperature curves Figure 10.4. Load vs Temperature curves
for various b/t ratios (L/b = 3) for various b/t ratios (L/b = 4)

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256 Ultimate Strength of Uniaxially Compressed Mild Steel Plate
at Elevated Temperatures

4.3 Influence of plate slenderness ratio on ultimate strength of plate

Fig. 11 shows a plot between normalised ultimate load and Non-dimensional plate slenderness ratio for
different temperatures. From the figure it is clear that the non dimensional plate slenderness ratio has a
little influence on normalised ultimate strength of plate. The horizontal shift of curves as shown in Fig.
11 confirms that the plate slenderness ratio is also a function of temperature.

Figure 11. Normalised ultimate load vs slenderness ratio

4.4 Percentage reduction of ultimate load

Fig. 12 shows a plot of percentage reduction of ultimate strength and temperature. It obvious from the
figure that the effect of b/t ratio is noticeable up to 500°C and beyond 500°C the reduction factor is

Figure 12. Percentage reduction of Pu with increasing temperature

Journal of Structural Fire Engineering

V. Innasi Raja, M. Suneel Kumar and P. Jayabalan 257

almost same for all b/t ratios. And also it is observed that all the plates lose 90% of its strength at 800°C
irrespective of its b/t ratio.

5. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

This paper reports a study on the behaviour of steel plate subjected to uniaxial load at elevated
temperatures. In order to observe the effect of temperature on buckling and ultimate strength of steel
plate, finite element analysis was conducted using the FEA software ANSYS®. The model was
validated with the buckling load calculated according to classical formula and the following
conclusions are made.
• The buckling and ultimate strength of steel plate decrease with increasing temperature and b/t
ratios. It is also observed that the ultimate strength reduces gradually up to 400°C and beyond
400°C it reduces rapidly. At 800°C all the plates are having only 10% of its strength at ambient
temperature.
• The effect of b/t ratio on ultimate strength of steel plate is significant for temperature below
500°C and beyond this temperature all plates demonstrated almost the same strength. For
temperatures up to 400°C, the ultimate strength of steel plate is equal to yield strength of plate
and beyond this temperature the ultimate strength is less than yield strength.

REFERENCES
AISC. Steel construction manual, 13 th ed. American Institute of Steel Construction : 2001.
Eurocode3: Design of steel structures, part 1.2 : Generalrules - Structural fire design (ENV1993-1-
2:2001). Brussels : European Committee for Standardization.
Guedes Soares. C and Teixeira A.P (2000) Strength of plates subjected to localised heat loads.
Journal of Constructional Steel Research, 53, 335-358.
Guedes Soares. C, Gordo J.M and Teixeira A.P (2000) Design equations for plates subjected to heat
loads and later pressure. Marine structures, 13, 1-23.
Guedes Soares. C, Gordo.J.M and Teixeira A.P (1998) Elasto-Plastic Behaviour of Plates Subjected
to Heat Loads. Journal of Constructional Steel Research, 45, 179-198.
Kuo-Chen Yang and Rejia Hsu (2009) Structural behaviour of centrally loaded steel columns at
elevated temperature. Journal of Constructional Steel Research, 65, 2062-2068.
Richard Liew J.Y, Tang L.K, Tore Holmaas and Choo.Y.S (1998) Advanced analysis for the
assessment of steel frames in fire. Journal of Constructional Steel Research, 47, 19–45.
Smith, C.S. (1975) Compressive Strength of Welded Ship Grillages. Transactions Royal Institute of
Naval Architects, 117, 325-359.
Spencer E. Quiel and Maria E. M. Garlock (2010) Calculating the buckling strength of steel plates
exposed to fire. Thin-Walled structures, 48, 684-695.
Stephen P.Timoshenko and James M.Gere Theory of Elastic Stability, 2nd Edition, Tata McGraw Hill
Edition, 2010.

Volume 4 · Number 4 · 2013