Stability of SpeedCore Walls under Fire Loading: Summary of Numerical Analyses

Concrete-Filled Composite Plate Shear Walls (C-PSW/CF), also referred as SpeedCore, are being considered for commercial buildings due to the benefits of modularization and schedule contraction. For building design and assessment of the acceptability of these walls, the stability of C-PSWs/CF under fire loading needs to be evaluated. The faceplates will be exposed to fire directly during a fire event. The high temperatures result in the degradation of strength and stiffness of the material which can result in the collapse of walls under axial gravity loads. The authors have performed fire tests on C-PSWs/CF under axial load and following ISO 834 standard time-temperature curve. The specimens with varying parameters such as tie bar (or shear stud) spacing and fire scenarios were tested under fire and constant axial loading. Local buckling of steel plates was observed between tie bars and shear studs. However, the specimens had fire ratings greater than 3 hours. Thermal and structural finite element models were benchmarked to the fire tests performed by the authors and the existing database of standard fire tests conducted on scaled C-PSWs. The authors conducted analytical parametric studies using the benchmarked finite element models. The results showed that wall slenderness, boundary conditions, and wall thickness have a significant effect on the fire resistance of C-PSWs/CF. Based on the experimental and analytical studies, detailing and design recommendations for performance-based fire design of C-PSWs/CF are provided. These recommendations can be used by the industry for the evaluation and design of C-PSWs/CF under fire loading.

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