975

Performance of high strength concrete-filled

steel columns exposed to fire
V.K.R. Kodur

Abstract: Results from an experimental program on the behaviour of high strength concrete-filled steel hollow
structural section (HSS) columns will be presented for three types of concrete filling. A comparison will be made of
the fire-resistance performance of HSS columns filled with normal strength concrete, high strength concrete, and steel-
fibre-reinforced high strength concrete. The various factors that influence the structural behaviour of high strength
concrete-filled HSS columns under fire conditions are discussed. It is demonstrated that, in many cases, addition of
steel fibres into high strength concrete improves the fire resistance and offers an economical solution for fire-safe
construction.

Key words: high strength concrete, steel columns, fire-resistance design, high-temperature behaviour, concrete-filled
steel columns.

Résumé : Les résultats d’un programme expérimental sur le comportement de colonnes en acier (HSS) dont la section
vide est remplie de béton à haute résistance, sont présentés et ce, pour trois types de béton de remplissage. Une
comparaison de la résistance au feu est faite pour des colonnes remplies avec du béton à résistance normale, du béton
à haute résistance ou du béton à haute résistance renforcé de fibre. Les différents facteurs qui influencent le
comportement structural des colonnes HSS remplies de béton à haute résistance sous des conditions d’incendie sont
discutés. Il est démontré que, dans de nombreux cas, l’ajout de fibres au béton à haute résistance améliore la résistance
au feu et offre une solution économique pour obtenir une construction sécuritaire en cas d’incendie.

Mots clés : béton à haute résistance, colonnes en acier, conception de résistance au feu, comportement à haute
température, colonnes en acier remplies de béton.
[Traduit par la Rédaction] Kodur 981

In recent years, high strength concrete has become an at-

Steel hollow structural section (HSS) columns are very ef-
ficient structurally in carrying compression loads and mo-
ments and are widely used in the construction of framed
structures in office and industrial buildings. Often these sec-
tions are filled with concrete to enhance the load-bearing ca-
pacity. The two components of the composite column
complement each other ideally, in that the steel casing con-
fines the concrete laterally, allowing it to develop its opti-
mum compressive strength, while the concrete, in turn,
prevents elastic local buckling in the steel wall.
Another advantage of concrete filling is that it also in-
creases the fire resistance of the column without the need for
external fire protection for the steel. This increases the us-
able space in the building. Properly designed concrete-filled
columns can lead economically to the realization of architec-
tural and structural design with visible steel without any re-
strictions on fire safety.
Received November 17, 1997.
Revised manuscript accepted June 8, 1998.
V.K.R. Kodur. Institute for Research in Construction,
National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6,
Canada.
Written discussion of this article is welcomed and will be
received by the Editor until June 30, 1999 (address inside
front cover).
tractive alternative to traditional plain concrete, since it fur-
ther increases the load-carrying capacity of HSS columns
(Prion and Baraka 1994). However, the behaviour of high
strength concrete, at elevated temperatures, is significantly
different from that of normal strength concrete (Phan 1996;
Kodur and Lie 1995a) and there is little information avail-
able in the literature on its performance when exposed to
fire.
For a number of years, the National Fire Laboratory, Na-
tional Research Council of Canada, has been engaged in re-
search studies aimed at developing simplified methods that
can be used by the construction industry for evaluating the
fire resistance of structural members. Both experimental and
numerical studies on the fire resistance of HSS columns
filled with concrete have been carried out with the support
of the Canadian Steel Construction Council and the Ameri-
can Iron and Steel Institute. Studies on HSS columns filled
with normal strength concrete have been completed and sim-
plified equations for evaluating the fire resistance of these
columns have been developed (Kodur and Lie 1995a; Lie
and Kodur 1996a; Kodur 1997). Experimental studies on
high strength concrete-filled HSS columns have been com-
pleted and numerical studies on the fire performance of
these columns are at an advanced stage.
In this paper, test results on the fire resistance of HSS col-
umns filled with concrete are presented for three types of
concrete filling. A comparison is made of the fire resistance

Can. J. Civ. Eng. 25: 975–981 (1998) © 1998 NRC Canada

976
Fig. 1. Expansion of the concrete-filled columns during exposure to fire.
50
40 steel
carries
30 the load
20
Column expansion (mm)
10
0
-10
-20
-30
-40
-50
-60
-70
0.0 0.5
of normal strength concrete-filled HSS columns, high
strength concrete filled columns, and fibre-reinforced high
strength concrete-filled HSS columns.
The behaviour of HSS columns filled with concrete, when
subjected to fire, depends on the temperature range and the
duration of the fire. This is illustrated by the axial deforma-
tion versus time plot in Fig. 1 for a typical concrete-filled
HSS column (used in buildings) exposed to heat in a fur-
nace, specially built for testing loaded columns under fire
conditions. During the early stages of fire exposure, the steel
column carries most of the load. This is because the steel
section expands more rapidly than the concrete core. At in-
creased temperatures, the steel section yields because of de-
creasing strength and the column suddenly contracts, usually
at 20–30 min. This contraction is often accompanied by lo-
cal bulging of the steel section. At this stage, the concrete
core takes over the load and carries a progressively increas-
ing portion of the load with increasing temperature. Con-
crete, due to its lower thermal conductivity and higher heat
capacity, loses strength more slowly than steel and provides
fire resistance for the column at these later stages of the test.
The strength of the concrete also decreases with time and,
ultimately, when the concrete core can no longer support the
load, failure occurs either by buckling or by compression.
The length of time the concrete is capable of supporting the
load can be quite significant, as seen from Fig. 1.
The fire resistance for HSS columns filled with concrete
depends on a number of factors, such as the load on the col-
umn, cross-sectional dimensions, concrete strength, and the
type of concrete filling (Kodur and Lie 1995a). In this paper,
the effect of concrete filling and concrete strength on fire re-
sistance is investigated using the test results for four HSS
columns filled with three types of concrete.
Can. J. Civ. Eng. Vol. 25, 1998
concrete carries the load
collapse
1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5
Time (h)
Test specimens
Four HSS columns, namely two columns filled with nor-
mal strength concrete (NSC1 and NSC2), a column filled
with high strength concrete (HSC1), and a column filled
with fibre-reinforced high strength concrete (HFC1), were
tested to failure by exposing the columns to fire. The col-
umns were of circular cross section. No external fire-
proofing protection was provided for the steel.
Figure 2 shows elevation and cross-sectional details for
the columns. The columns were 3810 mm long, from end
plate to end plate. Columns NSC1 and HFC1 were
219.1 mm in diameter and were made from grade 300 steel
section with a wall thickness of 4.78 mm. Columns NSC2
and HSC1 were 273.1 mm in diameter and were made from
grade 350 steel with a wall thickness of 6.35 mm.
The hollow steel columns were fabricated by cutting the
steel sections to appropriate lengths. Steel end plates were
then welded to the column extremities, with special attention
being given to the centering and perpendicularity of the end
plates. A hole, with a diameter 26 mm smaller than the in-
side diameter of the hollow steel section, was cut in each
plate before welding the plates to the steel section. This con-
struction provided a 13 mm lip to transfer the load from the
steel plate to the concrete filling, as shown in Fig. 3.
The HSS columns were fabricated by cutting the steel sec-
tions to appropriate lengths. Steel end plates were then
welded to the column extremities, with special attention be-
ing given to the centering and perpendicularity of the end
plates. A hole, with a diameter 26 mm smaller than the in-
side diameter of the hollow steel section, was cut in each
plate before welding the plates to the steel section.
Four small holes were drilled in the steel wall to provide
vent holes for water vapour produced during the test. Two
pairs of holes, one pair each at the bottom and top ends of
the column with a diameter of 12.7 mm, were located with
one hole opposite the other 1448 mm from mid-height of the
column. Provision of these holes, a mandatory requirement
© 1998 NRC Canada
Kodur
Fig. 2. Elevation and cross section of columns (a) NSC1,
(b) HFC1, (c) NSC2, and (d) HSC1.
(a) (b) (c) (d)
219.1 mm 219.7 mm 273.1 mm 273.1 mm
3810 mm
for concrete-filled steel columns when used in buildings, is
intended to prevent the bursting of the column under steam
pressure generated by the heating of entrapped water in the
enclosed concrete.
Type K chromel–alumel thermocouples, with a thickness
of 0.91 mm, were installed at the mid-height of the column
to measure the temperature at different locations in the cross
section. The locations of the thermocouples and other instru-
mentation details are described in detail in Lie and Chabot
(1992) and Kodur and Lie (1995b).
Concrete mix
XOREX steel fibres were used as reinforcement in col-
umn HFC1. These fibres are made of mild carbon steel with
a tensile strength of approximately 960 MPa. The corrugated
shape of these fibres provides a strong mechanical bond to
the concrete. The fibres were 50 mm long and 0.9 mm
equivalent diameter and had an aspect ratio of 57. The per-
centage of steel fibres in the concrete mix was 1.77% by
mass.
Four batches of concrete were used for fabricating the col-
umns. Concrete in batches 1 and 2 was made with general
purpose type 10 Portland cement, whereas batches 3 and 4
had silica fume added as well. All four concrete batches
contained carbonate stone and silica-based sand. The mix
proportions, per cubic metre of concrete, in the four batches
are shown in Table 1.
For the mix with steel fibre, the steel fibres were added to
the fresh concrete and mixed for approximately 2 min to
provide uniform dispersion of the steel fibres. The concrete
was poured into the column through the top opening and vi-
brators were used to consolidate the concrete. The 28-day
average cylinder strength varied from 35 to 43 MPa for nor-
mal strength concrete and was approximately 90 MPa for
high strength concrete. The corresponding compressive
strength on the test day, which was 6 months or more after
977
Fig. 3. End plate connection details for the columns.
End plate with
opening
13 mm
construction, varied from 38 to 42 MPa for normal strength
concrete and 82 to 98 MPa for high strength concrete.
The moisture condition at the centre of the column was
also measured on the day of the test. The moisture condition
of columns HSC1 and HFC1 was approximately equivalent
to that in equilibrium with air of 55% and 69% relative hu-
midity (RH) at room temperature, whereas for columns
NSC1 and NSC2 it was, with air, above 90% RH.
Test apparatus
The tests were carried out by exposing the columns to
heat in a furnace specially built for testing loaded columns.
The furnace consists of a steel framework supported by four
steel columns, with the furnace chamber inside the frame-
work. The test furnace was designed to produce conditions,
such as temperature, structural loads, and heat transfer, to
which a member might be exposed during a fire. The fur-
nace has a loading capacity of 1000 t. Full details on the
characteristics and instrumentation of the column furnace
are provided in Lie (1980).
Test conditions and procedures
The tests were carried out with both ends of the columns
fixed, i.e., restrained against rotation and horizontal transla-
tion. The columns were subjected to a concentric load. The
applied load (C), the factored compressive resistances of the
column (Crc), and the concrete core (Cr′) are given in Ta-
ble 2. The factored compressive resistance was computed
using an effective length factor (K) of 0.65, for the fixed end
condition, as recommended in CSA/CAN-S16.1-M89 of the
Canadian Design Code (CSA 1989). The load intensity, de-
fined as the ratio of the applied load to the column resis-
tance, varied slightly from one column to the other.
The load was applied approximately 45 min before the
start of the fire test and was maintained until a condition
was reached at which no further increase of the axial defor-
mation could be measured. This was selected as the initial
© 1998 NRC Canada
978 Can. J. Civ. Eng. Vol. 25, 1998

Table 1. Batch quantities for concrete mix.

Cement Coarse aggregate (kg/m3) (carbonate) Fine aggregate Steel fibres

Batch Column (kg/m3) 19 mm 12.7 mm 9.5 mm 6.35 mm Total (kg/m3) (kg/m3)
1 NSC1 439 (type 10) 788 340 1128 621 —
2 NSC2 439 (type 10) 788 340 1128 621 —
3 HSC1 500 (type 30) 440 330 330 1100 700 —
4 HFC1 500 (type 10) 1100 1100 700 45

Table 1 (concluded).

Compressive strength
Silica Fly ash Water Water/cement (MPa)
Batch fume (kg/m3) (kg/m3) ratio Superplasticizer Retarding admixture 28 day Test day
1 — — 161 0.37 Mighty 150 Master Builders 100 XR 43.0 42.7
2 — — 161 0.37 Mighty 150 Master Builders 100 XR 35.9 38.2
3 30 — 135 0.25 Mighty 150 None 90.5 82.2
4 50 — 140 0.26 Daracem 100 Daratard 17 90.1 98.1

Fig. 4. Temperature at various depths for columns NSC2 and HSC1 as a function of exposure time.
1200
Standard Furnace Temperature
1000
Temperature (oC)

Column NSC2
column surface
800 Column HSC1

600

400
33 mm depth
200
98 mm depth
0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Time (min)

condition for the axial deformation of the column. During
the test, the column was exposed to heating controlled in
such a way that the average temperature in the furnace fol-
lowed, as closely as possible, the CAN/ULC-S101 (ULC
1989) or ASTM E119-88 (ASTM 1990) standard time–tem-
perature curve. The load was maintained constant through-
out the test. The columns were considered to have failed and
the tests were terminated when the hydraulic jack, which has
a maximum speed of 76 mm/min, could no longer maintain
the load.
Results and discussion
The test data from the four columns, NSC1, NSC2, HSC1,
and HFC1, are compared in this section. The load intensity
(C/Crc) in columns NSC2 and HSC1 was 0.26 and the corre-
sponding values for columns NSC1 and HFC1 were 0.36
and 0.3, respectively. These load levels represent typical
loads that are encountered in columns under a fire situation.
Although the load intensities for columns NSC1 and HFC1
are not identical, the results can be used to illustrate the
comparative behaviour of the three types of concrete filling.
The effect of concrete strength on the behaviour of concrete-
filled HSS columns is illustrated by comparing the data from
columns NSC2 and HSC1, and the effect of steel fibre rein-
forcement in high strength concrete is illustrated by compar-
ing the test data of columns NSC1 and HFC1.
Behaviour of high strength concrete
The time–temperature curves for the external column sur-
face and for depths of 33 and 98 mm in the concrete are
plotted in Fig. 4 for columns NSC2 and HSC1. For both col-
umns, the temperatures inside the column rise rapidly to
about 150°C and then the rate of increase of temperature de-
creases. This temperature behaviour is due to the thermally
induced migration of moisture toward the centre of the col-
umn (Chabot and Lie 1992). The influence of moisture mi-
gration is highest at the centre of the column.
The failure of column NSC2 occurred when the tempera-
ture at the centre of the concrete core was approximately

© 1998 NRC Canada

Kodur 979

Fig. 5. Axial deformation of columns NSC2 and HSC1 as a function of exposure time.
30

20
Column NSC2
Axial deformation (mm)
10
Column HSC1
0

-10

-20

-30

-40

-50
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200

Time (min)

Table 2. Summary of test results for the four columns.

Size of HSS Factored resistance (kN) Test load Load intensity Fire resistance
Column (mm) Cr′ Crc C (kN) C/Cr′ C/Crc (min)
NSC1 219.1×4.78 699 1551 560 0.80 0.36 108
NSC2 273.1×6.35 947 2689 712 0.75 0.26 144
HSC1 273.1×6.35 2291 4023 1050 0.46 0.26 48
HFC1 219.1×4.78 1184 2032 600 0.50 0.30 174

300°C. The corresponding temperature at the centre of the
concrete core for the high strength concrete-filled column,
HSC1, was about 100°C. This variation in core temperature
at the failure of the columns can be attributed to the differ-
ences in mechanical properties of the normal strength and
high strength concrete.
For both columns, the reduction in the compressive
strength of the concrete with temperature, together with
cracking in the concrete core, contributed to failure. How-
ever, this reduction in strength with temperature starts only
after about 300–350°C for normal strength concrete. In the
case of high strength concrete, the reduction in compressive
strength with temperature is significant even at temperatures
around 200°C and excessive cracking occurs in the concrete
core. Hence, the column has a lower fire-resistance rating.
The variation in axial deformation with time for columns
NSC2 and HSC1 is shown in Fig. 5. As expected, both col-
umns expand, in the initial stages, with the expansion of the
steel section and then contract, leading to failure. The defor-
mation results from several factors such as load, thermal ex-
pansion, water vapour pressure in concrete, and creep. While
the effect of load, water vapour pressure, and thermal expan-
sion is significant in the early stages, the effect of creep be-
comes pronounced in the later stages.
The results shown in Fig. 5 indicate that the deformation
behaviour is influenced by the strength of concrete inside
the HSS section. For column NSC2, the failure is by gradual
contraction, whereas for column HSC1 it is by sudden con-
traction. This can be attributed to the brittle nature of high
strength concrete.
In Table 2, a comparison of the fire-resistance values for
the columns is shown. The fire resistance (48 min) of the
high strength concrete-filled steel column (HSC1) is much
less than the fire resistance (144 min) of the normal strength
concrete-filled column (NSC2).
Behaviour of fibre-reinforced high strength concrete
The fire-resistance behaviour of high strength concrete
can be improved by adding steel fibres to the concrete mix.
The time–temperature curves for a normal strength concrete-
filled steel column (NSC1) and a fibre-reinforced high
strength concrete-filled steel column (HFC1) are shown in
Fig. 6 at various concrete depths. The temperatures follow
similar trends in both concrete cores. However, at the centre
of the column, the temperature in column NSC1 is slightly
less than that for HFC1.
The failure of column NSC1 occurs when the temperature
near the centre reaches about 350°C, whereas the failure in
column HFC1 does not occur until the temperature reaches
about 600°C. This can be attributed to the superior mechani-
cal properties of steel-fibre-reinforced concrete. There is
very little information on the properties of steel-fibre-
reinforced high strength concrete, however, studies on steel-
fibre-reinforced normal strength concrete have shown that
the compressive strength increases with temperature up to
about 400°C (Lie and Kodur 1996b).
The improved performance in column HFC1 can further
be seen in Fig. 7, which shows the axial deformation as a
function of time for columns NSC1 and HFC1. The defor-
mation behaviour of the fibre-reinforced high strength con-

© 1998 NRC Canada

980 Can. J. Civ. Eng. Vol. 25, 1998

Fig. 6. Temperature at various depths for columns NSC1 and HFC1 as a function of exposure time.
1200
Standard Furnace Temperature
1000

Temperature (oC) column surface

800

600
26 mm depth
400
Column NSC1
Column HFC1
200
105 mm depth
(centre)
0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
Time (min)

Fig. 7. Axial deformation of columns NSC1 and HFC1 as a function of exposure time.
30

20
Column NSC1
Axial deformation (mm)

10
Column HFC1
0

-10

-20

-30

-40

-50
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200

Time (min)

Fig. 8. Effect of concrete filling on the fire resistance of hollow steel columns.

NSC2
HSC1

HFC1
NSC1
High strength concrete
Plain concrete
High strength fibre reinforced concrete

0 50 100 150 200

Time (min)

© 1998 NRC Canada

Kodur
crete-filled steel column, HFC1, is similar, during the early
stages of the test, to that of the normal strength concrete-
filled steel column NSC1. At the later stages, column HFC1
performs better than column NSC1, since the presence of
steel fibres enhanced the ductility of column HFC1. Al-
though the lower load intensity on column HFC1 contrib-
uted to an increased fire resistance to some extent, much of
the contribution is from the presence of steel fibres in the
high strength concrete.
The fire-resistance values of normal strength, high
strength, and high strength fibre-reinforced concrete-filled
columns are compared in Fig. 8. The variation in fire resis-
tance from one column to another can be attributed to the
different types of concrete filling in the columns. The fire
resistance of the high strength fibre-reinforced concrete-
filled columns is much higher than that of all other columns
tested. This indicates that, for high strength concrete appli-
cations, adequate fire resistance can be obtained by adding
fibre reinforcement to concrete.
By adding fibres, the load-carrying capacity of the mem-
ber also increases to a certain degree. The additional cost in
the case of fibre-reinforced concrete-filled columns, over the
cost of concrete, is the cost of the steel fibres. Since there
are no additional fire-protection costs for the steel, this can
offer an economical solution for obtaining a required fire-
resistance rating where fire resistance governs the design.
The main objective of the experimental studies, such as
those described above, is to generate fire-resistance data for
immediate use by the construction industry. These studies
also provide information for the development of general
methods of calculating fire resistance of concrete-filled steel
columns.
Experimental and theoretical studies have been completed
for normal strength concrete-filled steel columns, and com-
puter programs (Lie 1994; Kodur and Lie 1996) have been
developed for predicting the fire resistance of these columns.
At present, work is at an advanced stage in the development
of material properties, namely thermal, mechanical, and de-
formation properties, for high strength concrete and steel-
fibre-reinforced high strength concrete. These properties will
be incorporated into the existing computer programs and the
programs will be upgraded by incorporating other factors
that influence the behaviour of high strength concrete-filled
HSS columns.
These computer programs will be used to develop design
equations which can be used in the normal course of struc-
tural design. A designer can arrive at a desired fire-
resistance value by varying different parameters. The use of
computer programs can lead to an optimum design that is
not only economical but also based on rational design prin-
ciples.
Based on the information presented, the following conclu-
sions can be drawn:
981
(1) Concrete filling offers an attractive alternative for pro-
ducing fire resistance in HSS columns.
(2) The behaviour of high strength concrete-filled steel col-
umns is significantly different from that of normal
strength concrete-filled HSS columns.
(3) The fire-resistance rating of high strength concrete-
filled HSS columns can be significantly improved by
adding steel fibre reinforcement to concrete.
ASTM. 1990. Standard methods of fire tests on building construc-
tion and materials. Standard ASTM E119-88, American Society
for Testing and Materials, Philadelphia, Pa.
Chabot, M., and Lie, T.T. 1992. Experimental studies on the fire
resistance of hollow steel columns filled with bar-reinforced
concrete. Institute for Research in Construction, National Re-
search Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ont., IRC Internal Report
No. 628.
CSA. 1989. Limit states design of steel structures. Standard
CAN/CSA-S16.1-M89, Canadian Standards Association,
Rexdale, Ont.
Kodur, V.K.R. 1998. Design equations for evaluating fire resis-
tance of SFRC-filled steel columns. ASCE Journal of Structural
Engineering, 124(6): 671–677.
Kodur, V.K.R., and Lie, T.T. 1995a. Fire performance of concrete-
filled hollow steel columns. Journal of Fire Protection Engi-
neering, 7(3): 89–98.
Kodur, V.K.R., and Lie, T.T. 1995b. Experimental studies on the
fire resistance of circular hollow steel columns filled with steel-
fibre-reinforced concrete. Institute for Research in Construction,
National Research Council, Ottawa, Ont., IRC Internal Report
No. 691.
Kodur, V.K.R., and Lie, T.T. 1996. Fire resistance of circular steel
columns filled with fibre-reinforced concrete. ASCE Journal of
Structural Engineering, 122(7): 776–782.
Lie, T.T. 1980. New facility to determine fire resistance of col-
umns. Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, 7(3): 551–558.
Lie, T.T. 1994. Fire resistance of circular steel columns filled with
bar-reinforced concrete. ASCE Journal of Structural Engi-
neering, 120(5): 1489–1509.
Lie, T.T., and Chabot, M. 1992. Experimental studies on the fire
resistance of hollow steel columns filled with plain concrete. In-
stitute for Research in Construction, National Research Council
of Canada, Ottawa, Ont., IRC Internal Report No. 611.
Lie, T.T., and Kodur, V.K.R. 1996a. Fire resistance of steel col-
umns filled with bar-reinforced concrete. ASCE Journal of
Structural Engineering, 121(1): 30–36.
Lie, T.T., and Kodur, V.K.R. 1996b. Thermal and mechanical prop-
erties of steel-fibre-reinforced concrete at elevated temperatures.
Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, 23(2): 511–517.
Phan, L.T. 1996. Fire performance of high-strength concrete: a re-
port of the state-of-the-art. National Institute of Standards and
Technology, Gaithersburg, Md.
Prion, H.G.L., and Baraka, M. 1994. Thin-walled tubes filled with
high strength concrete. Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering,
21(1): 207–218.
ULC. 1989. Standard methods of fire endurance tests of building
construction and materials. Standard CAN/ULC-S101-M89, Un-
derwriters’ Laboratories of Canada, Scarborough, Ont.
© 1998 NRC Canada