Modelling the Fire Performance of Hybrid Steel-Timber Connections

In a building structure, wood can be used in conjunction with steel or concrete material to form what is known as a hybrid building system. In this research, a steel-timber hybrid system is considered, which consists of a glulam wooden beam connected to a steel column. The connection of the beam to the column is composed of three different types of shear tab connections: concealed, exposed and seated connections. The fire resistance of these connections is evaluated using a finite element model and compared with the full-scale experimental fire resistance tests which had been conducted earlier in a separate project. The finite element model results were in good agreement with the observations made from the experimental tests. The variation between the test and the model results was within a ±11% envelope. In conclusion, the seated connection had a better fire resistance as compared to the concealed and exposed connections.