Bong, M.W.Buchanan, A.H.Dhakal, RajeshMoss, P.J.2010-08-162010-08-162007Bong, M.W., Buchanan, A.H., Dhakal, R.P., Moss, P.J. (2007) Fire Performance of Steel Portal Frame Buildings. Wairakei, New Zealand: Pacific Structural Steel Conference (PSSC) 2007, 14-16 Mar 2007.http://hdl.handle.net/10092/4277This paper describes a study into the fire behaviour of steel portal frame buildings at elevated temperaturesusing the finite element programme SAFIR. The finite element analysis carried out in this report is three dimensional and covers different support conditions at the column bases, the presence of axial restraints provided by the end walls, several different locations and severities of fires within the building, different levels of out-of-plane restraint to the columns and the effect of concrete encasement to the columns. From a large number of analyses, it is shown that the bases of the steel portal frames at the foundations must be designed and constructed with some level of base fixity to ensure that the structure will deform in an acceptable way during fire, with no outwards collapse of the walls. The analyses also showed that it is not necessary for steel portal frame columns to be fire-protected unless the designer wishes to ensure that the columns and the wall panels remain standing, during and after the fire.enConference Contributions - PublishedFields of Research::290000 Engineering and Technology::290800 Civil Engineering::290801 Structural engineeringFields of Research::290000 Engineering and Technology::290800 Civil Engineering::290805 Geotechnical engineeringFields of Research::290000 Engineering and Technology::299900 Other Engineering and Technology::299902 Combustion and fuel engineeringFields of Research::40 - Engineering::4005 - Civil engineering::400510 - Structural engineeringFields of Research::40 - Engineering::4005 - Civil engineering::400502 - Civil geotechnical engineering