Eurocode
EN 1993-2-1
Data can be entered specifically and solely for determining the fire resistance of steel sections in accordance with Eurocode 3: EN 1993-2-1. XFEM4U iteratively calculates the critical steel temperature for each beam and then determines the fire resistance according to the applicable standards. You can analyze both uncladded and fire-resistant cladded steel sections. For the cladding, you can easily choose between profile-following (contour protection) or box systems (encasement). In addition, an extensive library is included with the most commonly used fire-resistant materials and various coating thicknesses. During a fire, a steel section continues to heat up. As the temperature rises, both the yield strength and the modulus of elasticity decrease. As a result, the load-bearing capacity changes continuously. XFEM4U calculates this process entirely iteratively. For each member, the temperature evolution over time is determined, after which the system automatically identifies when the section loses its load-bearing capacity. This point in time—expressed in minutes from the onset of the fire—represents the member’s fire resistance. This entire calculation is performed extremely quickly, even for large structures.
Fire Resistance Check
Setting to determine whether a member must be assessed for fire resistance. Not all members are subject to fire resistance requirements.
Member Failure in a Fire
Not every member needs to remain intact in a fire situation. That’s why you can easily specify which members are allowed to fail in a fire. This allows you to simulate realistic fire scenarios and assess the robustness of the structure.
Fire Data
You can enter the fire resistance requirement, the heating method, and whether the section is uncladded or cladded with fire-resistant material once and reuse this information for multiple sections. The software then references the fire data you entered. See Fire Data
Section Factor
The section factor is determined automatically but can also be entered manually here.