Performance of partially encased beams at elevated and room temperature

Partially-Encased Beams (PEB) are elements in which the web of the steel section is encased by reinforced concrete. They are usually built-up with I-Shape or H-shape steel sections. These elements are casted in the floor, and once the concrete has cured, section behaves with composite action. Concrete between flanges increases fire-resistance, load bearing and stiffness, without enlarging the overall size of the cross section in comparison to steel sections. These advantages outweigh the increased self-weight of the element. Partially encased beams (PEB) have been widely tested at room temperature, but only a small number of experiments under fire conditions are reported [1]. Authors developed several tests using short beam lengths. This paper presents a new set of experimental bending tests, using large beams, to determine the performance of PEB under bending. Bending resistance is also compared to stand alone steel bare section.

Performance of partially encased beams at elevated and room temperature Conference Paper