Effects of non-fire-rated floor/roof-to-wall connections on the fire behaviour of LSF walls
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Light gauge steel framed (LSF) building structures are sometimes built using fire rated LSF walls and non-fire rated floors or roofs, leading to the presence of non-fire rated floor/roof-towall connections. However, the knowledge and understanding of their impacts on the fire resistance behaviour of LSF walls are limited. This research study focuses on LSF walls with non-fire rated floor/roof-to-wall connections made of steel bearers and cleats. The thermal behaviour of these LSF walls exposed to fire on one side was assessed first using a fire test of a small-scale cavity insulated LSF wall. A thermal finite element (FE) model was then developed and validated against the obtained fire test results. The thermal FE model was then modified to simulate the behaviour of full-scale LSF walls by including the effect of plasterboard joints in the walls. Using the temperatures of stud hot and cold flanges predicted by the modified thermal FE model and a sequentially coupled structural FE model developed for LSF walls without floor/roof-to-wall connections in a previous study, a modified sequentially coupled structural FE model was developed for LSF walls with floor/roof-to-wall connections made of steel bearers and cleats to investigate their structural behaviour in fire and fire resistance levels. Finally, some design recommendations for such LSF walls were proposed. This paper presents the details of this study and its results and recommendations.
Authors: Son Tung Vy, Edward Steau, Mahen Mahendran
Language: English
Subfield: Civil and Structural Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,310
OpenAlex ID: W7127645781