Preventing the collapse of steel-reinforced buildings during fire by increasing the high-temperature strength of construction steel (07949)

Project nummer: 07949

Omschrijving van het onderzoek

The collapse of New York City's World Trade Center towers of 11 September 2001 was the worst building disaster in recorded history, killing some 2,800 people. The World Trade Center towers collapsed as a result of damage inflicted by aircraft and the ensuing fires that resulted in the loss of strength of steel at high temperatures. The primary aim of this proposal is to increase the high-temperature strength of construction steel. Several improvements have already been made. However, the two problems that remain are that the increase in strength is too limited in time and that at even higher temperatures the ferrite matrix transforms into austenite. The innovative idea of this proposal is to create multiple sequences of precipitation reactions that form coherent and nano-sized precipitates in steel, which are activated in reaction to the fire. Each sequence of precipitation reactions gives strength to the steel at specific times and temperatures during heat-exposure, which results in active strengthening. The timing of each sequence of precipitation reactions and its effect on the evolution of the grain size distribution of the matrix is crucial, but currently unknown. Only state-of-the art synchrotron radiation measurements, which the applicant pioneered for steel research, can give insight into the evolution of the precipitate size distributions and its effect on the grain size distributions of the matrix phases, and vice versa, in the bulk of steel at elevated temperatures. Measurements will be performed with the three-dimensional x-ray diffraction microscope, the nanoscope that is being developed at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, and high-energy small-angle x-ray scattering. A model will be developed that combines the thermodynamics and kinetics, including atomistic simulations, of the precipitation reactions and phase transformations for the urgent design of construction steel that is strong enough to prevent the collapse of steel-reinforced buildings during fire.

Gebruikers

Five companies are involved in this project.

Projectleider

Dr.ir. S.E. Offerman
Technische Universiteit Delft
Faculteit 3ME
Microstr. Control in Metals
Mekelweg 2
2628 CD Delft

Status van het project

Startdatum:	01-05-2008
Einddatum:	30-04-2013

Trefwoorden

buckling, fire resistant steels, high temperature strenghts, precipitation, stalen constructies, steel.

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