Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composite Structures in Fire: Modeling and Validation

Abstract

This article presents a thermomechanical model for predicting the behavior of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composite structures subject to simultaneous fire and compressive loading. The model includes a thermal sub-model to calculate the temperature history of the structure and a structural sub-model to predict the mechanical performance of the structure. Both thermal and mechanical properties in the two sub-models are temperature dependent. The effect of heating rate on decomposition is considered through a shift temperature factor in the thermal sub-model. Cohesive elements are incorporated in the structural sub-model to consider the effect of delamination for sandwich panels. The model is implemented by the finite element method and is validated by comparing the numerical results with a one-sided heating test on FRP laminate strips and furnace structural fire tests on FRP laminate and sandwich panels.