FIRE BEHAVIOUR OF REINFORCED CONCRETE COLUMNS CONFINED WITH FIBRE-REINFORCED POLYMERS

Abstract

ABSTRACT The use of fibre reinforced polymers (FRP) for strengthening and rehabilitation of reinforced concrete structures has been the subject of numerous research projects and has seen widespread implementation in recent years. However, very little information is available on the behaviour of FRP materials at high temperature, as would be experienced during fire, and this is a primary factor limiting the widespread application FRP-wraps in buildings, parking garages, and industrial structures. This paper presents the results of numerical and experimental studies performed to investigate the fire behaviour of FRP-wrapped (confined) concrete columns, wherein full-scale fire endurance tests were conducted on two circular FRP-wrapped reinforced concrete (RC) columns. The primary objectives of this research project were: to experimentally investigate the behaviour in fire of circular FRP-wrapped and insulated RC columns; to develop and validate numerical models to simulate the behaviour in fire of these members; to investigate techniques to improve their behaviour in fire; and to use experimental data and numerical models to provide guidance to designers regarding the fire behaviour of FRP-wrapped RC columns. Test data are compared with the predictions of a specially developed fire simulation model, and the model is shown to adequately predict the observed thermal and structural response of the members. It is demonstrated that, while currently available infrastructure composites are particularly sensitive to the effects of elevated temperatures, appropriately designed FRP-wrapped reinforced concrete columns are capable of achieving satisfactory fire endurances.