Enhancing Fire Resistance Performance of Precast Concrete Load- Bearing Walls by Using Polypropylene Fibers and Wire Mesh

Abstract

<p>The use of polypropylene (PP) fibers and wire mesh is investigated in this study to enhance the spalling resistance of precast concrete load-bearing walls exposed to fire. A series of fire tests are carried out on precast concrete load-bearing walls with varying proportions of PP fibers in the concrete mixture in conjunction with the installation of wire mesh using 15 mm concrete cover. The walls are exposed to ISO 834-1 standard fire on one side for the target heating duration of 180 min. Based on the experimental results, it can be concluded that the use of PP fibers of 0.05-0.2% by volume in the concrete mixture can effectively increase the spalling resistance of precast concrete load-bearing walls, while the installation of wire mesh has a negative impact on the walls’ fire-resisting performance. Furthermore, the use of wire mesh in conjunction with PP fiber does not enhance the spalling resistance of the concrete walls, compared with using PP fiber alone.</p>