SUMMARY This paper presents a review of the practical aspects of fire protection of steel structures by different techniques taking the desired fire rating into account. Some guidelines for correct practice are given. A number of these concepts of fire protection are illustrated by recent examples of steel building structures in Dublin, London, Manchester and Paris. The last part of the paper discusses the priorities for future action and research. The use of calculation methods for the design of structural fire protection is gaining increasing acceptance and there is a growing recognition of the need to clearly identify the safety objectives related to fire within the context of overall safety. SUMMARY This paper is aimed at describing the principles on which are based the current concepts of fire engineering design of steel structures. The first part deals with the design methods for fire safety through the definision of heat exposure and structural models. The second part reviews the state of art in structural fire calculation methods, according to different levels of assumption.