Engineering FAQs


11.2.5. What percentage of its total capacity does a steel beam retain when subjected to the heat of a normal fire? At what temperature does steel lose all of its capacity?

The strength of steel remains essentially unchanged until about 600°F. The steel retains about 50% of its strength at 1100°F. The steel loses all of its capacity when it melts at about 2700°F. However, for design purposes, it is usually assumed that all capacity is lost at about 2200°F.

last modified 25 March 2003