how fast it weakens? at what temperature does it take to start affecting the steel frame strength?and at what rate of speed does it take?
2006-10-14 13:16:25 · 7 answers · asked by maw.jml.06@verizon.net 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Other - Science
I work in the fire service and am a state certified fire inspector. A structure fire does weaken steel and can cause a building to collapse. For this reason, building codes require steel supports to have insulation on them.
At 1000° F steel members can fail based on what they are supporting. They can also elongate (4" per 50' of steel) and push out walls.
I don't know about rate, but it would likely be related to the temperature of a fire.
They believe the steel in the World Trade Center buildings failed because there was insufficient insulation or that it had come off for some reason.
2006-10-14 17:52:02 · answer #1 · answered by The Doctor 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Most steel loses strength at around 540°C (~1000°F). Once it reaches the critical temperature, the change is abrupt. The steel doesn't melt, but undergoes a change in crystal structure. Building codes generally require structural steel to be encased in insulating material to protect it in case of fire.
2006-10-14 14:23:52 · answer #2 · answered by injanier 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
well it all depends on the beams, once the beams even melt a little bit, the building is going down! To figure this out you have several variables, Heat of the fire, Melting temperature of the beams, and where the fire is, to bring down a building fast, the fire has to be at the top. Thats what happened in 9/11
2006-10-14 13:24:54 · answer #3 · answered by sur2124 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Fire weakens steel in such buildings. The details are unknown to me, but I can tell you that heating and cooling will soften the metal. Try studying annealing and hardening of metals and glass.
2006-10-14 13:35:56 · answer #4 · answered by Jack 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Are you associated with Osama Bin Ladin? Al Queda? Taliban?
Research 9/11...you'll get the picture.
2006-10-14 13:22:35 · answer #5 · answered by exert-7 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
good question, fire does absoloutly nothing to steel unless the fire temperature is extremely high but that temperature is impossible to to reach unless you use a furnece or an oven, thats one of the reasons many americans believe that 911 was a conspiracy, many people argue that the fire caused by the burning fuel did not weaken the reinforced steel...
2006-10-14 13:28:32 · answer #6 · answered by mA dk 2 · 1⤊ 4⤋
No, there were no bombs, the towers collapsed on 9/11 by themselves.
2006-10-14 13:20:29 · answer #7 · answered by October 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋