Fire resistance
Energy Based Time Equivalent Approach for Evaluating Fire Resistance of Reinforced Concrete Beams
Mon, 2015-02-23 16:12 — Monther DwaikatThe current prescriptive approaches for evaluating fire resistance of reinforced concrete beams under standard fire exposure have a number of drawbacks and do not provide realistic performance assessment. As an alternative, time equivalent concept can relate the severity of design fire exposure to that of standard fire exposure. However, the current empirical formulae for evaluating such time equivalency are mainly derived for protected steel members and may not be applicable for reinforced concrete members.
This paper presents an energy-based time equivalency method for evaluating the fire resistance of reinforced concrete beams under design fire scenarios. The proposed method is based on the principle of equivalent energy, and estimates fire resistance based on the equivalency between standard and design fire exposures. The validity of the method is established by comparing the predictions from the proposed approach with those from existing methods (equivalent area method and empirical formulae) and with nonlinear finite element analysis. The applicability of the proposed approach to design situations is illustrated through a numerical example. It is shown that the proposed energy based method is capable of predicting equivalent fire resistance under design fire scenarios with an accuracy that is sufficient for practical purposes.
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TwitterDesign Equation for Predicting Fire Resistance of Reinforced Concrete Beams
Mon, 2015-02-23 15:34 — Monther DwaikatAn approach for evaluating the fire resistance of reinforced concrete (RC) beams is presented in this paper. A macroscopic finite element model is applied to study the influence of various parameters on the fire resistance of RC beams. Data from parametric studies is utilized to develop a simplified expression for evaluating the fire resistance of an RC beam as a function of influencing parameters. The validity of the proposed approach is established by comparing the fire resistance predictions with those obtained from finite element studies as well as from fire resistance tests. Predictions from the proposed equation are also compared with fire resistance estimates from current codes of practice. The applicability of the approach to design situations is illustrated through a numerical example. The proposed rational approach expresses fire resistance in terms of conventional structural and material design parameters, and thus facilitates easy evaluation of fire resistance. The proposed approach provides better estimates than those from current codes of practice and thus can be used to evaluate the fire resistance of RC beams with an accuracy that is adequate for design purposes.
A Numerical Model for Predicting the Fire Resistance of Reinforced Concrete Beams
Sun, 2014-06-01 12:41 — Monther DwaikatA numerical model, in the form of a computer program, for tracing the behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) beams exposed to fire is presented. The three stages associated with the numerical procedure for evaluating fire resistance of RC beams; namely, fire temperature calculation, thermal analysis and strength analysis, are explained. A simplified approach to account for spalling under fire conditions is incorporated into the model. The use of the computer program for tracing the response of RC beams from the initial pre-loading stage to collapse stage, due to the combined effect of fire and loading, is demonstrated. The validity of the numerical model is established by comparing the predictions from the computer program with results from full-scale fire resistance tests. Through the results of numerical study, it is shown that the type of failure criterion has significant influence on predicting the fire resistance of RC beams.
Performance-Based Fire Safety Design of Reinforced Concrete Beams
Sun, 2014-06-01 12:37 — Monther DwaikatA numerical model, in the form of a computer program, is presented for tracing the fire behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) beams over the entire range of loading from pre-fire conditions to collapse under fire. The three stages associated with the analysis of fire resistance; namely, establishing the fire temperature—time development, calculating the heat transfer through the structure from the fire, and the structural analysis are explained. The model, which accounts for nonlinear material properties at elevated temperatures, is capable of predicting the fire resistance of RC beams under realistic fire scenarios, load levels, and failure criteria. The validity of the numerical model is established by comparing the predictions from the computer program with results from full-scale fire resistance tests. Through the results of numerical study, it is shown that the type of failure criterion, load level, and fire scenario have significant influence on fire resistance of RC beams. The computer program can be used to undertake performance-based fire safety design of RC beams for any value of the significant parameters, such as fire exposure, concrete cover thickness, section dimensions, concrete strength, concrete type, and load intensity.
Effect of Fire Induced Spalling on the Response of Reinforced Concrete Beams
Sun, 2014-06-01 12:27 — Monther DwaikatA macroscopic finite element model is applied to investigate the effect of fire induced spalling on the response of reinforced concrete (RC) beams. Spalling is accounted for in the model through pore pressure calculations in concrete. The principles of mechanics and thermodynamics are applied to compute the temperature induced pore pressure in the concrete structures as a function of fire exposure time. The computed pore pressure is checked against the temperature dependent tensile strength of concrete to determine the extent of spalling. Using the model, case studies are conducted to investigate the influence of concrete permeability, fire scenario and axial restraint on the fire induced spalling and also on the response of RC beams. Results from the analysis indicate that the fire induced spalling, fire scenario, and axial restraint have significant influence on the fire response of RC beams. It is also shown that concrete permeability has substantial effect on the fire induced spalling and thus on the fire response of concrete beams. The fire resistance of high strength concrete beams can be lower that that of normal strength concrete beams due to fire induced spalling resulting from low permeability in high strength concrete.
A Numerical Approach for Modeling the Fire Induced Restraint Effects in Reinforced Concrete Beams
Sun, 2014-06-01 10:46 — Monther DwaikatIn this paper, a model to predict the influence of fire induced restraints on the fire resistance of reinforced concrete (RC) beams is presented. The three stages, associated with the fire growth, thermal and structural analysis, for the calculation of fire resistance of the RC beams are explained. A simplified approach to account for spalling under fire conditions is incorporated into the model. The validity of the numerical model is established by comparing the predictions from the computer program with results from full-scale fire resistance tests. The program is used to conduct two case studies to investigate the influence of both the rotational and the axial restraint on the fire response of the RC beams. Through these case studies, it is shown that the restraint, both rotational and axial, has significant influence on the fire resistance of the RC beams.
Effect of Fire Induced Restraint on Fire Resistance of Reinforced Concrete Beams
Sun, 2014-06-01 09:43 — Monther DwaikatThe effect of fire induced restraint on the fire response of reinforced concrete (RC) beams is addressed in this paper. A macroscopic finite element model, capable of tracing the behavior of restrained RC beams from pre-fire stage to collapse in fire is used in the analysis. The model is applied to investigate the effect of five parameters; namely, degree of axial restraint, span-to-depth ratio, fire scenario, load level, and failure criteria on the fire response of restrained RC beams. Through the results of the parametric study, it is shown that the five parameters have significant influence on fire resistance of RC beams. It is also shown that, fire induced restraint has negative effect on fire resistance of slender RC beams having high span-to-depth ratio
Macroscopic FE Model for Tracing the Fire Response of Reinforced Concrete Structures
Sun, 2014-06-01 09:31 — Monther DwaikatA macroscopic finite element model for tracing the fire response of reinforced concrete (RC) structural members is presented. The model accounts for critical factors that are to be considered for performance-based fire resistance assessment of RC structural members. Fire induced spalling, various strain components, high temperature material properties, restraint effects, different fire scenarios and failure criteria are incorporated in the model. The validity of the numerical model is established by comparing the predictions from the computer program with results from full-scale fire resistance tests. Case studies are conducted to demonstrate the use of the computer program for tracing the response of RC members under standard and design fire exposures. Through the results of the case studies, it is shown that the fire scenario has a significant effect on the fire resistance of RC columns and beams. It is also shown that macroscopic finite element models are capable of predicting the fire response of RC structural members with an adequate accuracy for practical applications.
Response of Restrained Concrete Beams under Design Fire Exposure
Sun, 2014-06-01 09:25 — Monther DwaikatResults from fire resistance experiments on six RC beams are presented in this paper. The test variables included concrete strength (permeability), support conditions, fire scenario, and load ratio. Data from fire tests are used to illustrate the comparative performance of high strength concrete (HSC) and normal strength concrete (NSC) beams under fire conditions. Also, data from the tests is used to validate a macroscopic finite-element model specifically developed for tracing the fire response of RC beams. Results from the tests and numerical studies show that HSC beams have lower fire resistance than that of NSC beams. It is also shown that HSC beams exhibit higher levels of spalling which is largely influenced by the permeability of concrete, type of fire exposure, load level, and restraint conditions. Similarly, the type of fire scenario, axial restraint, and load level have significant influence on the overall fire resistance of RC beams. These factors are to be considered for evaluating the fire resistance of RC beams under fire conditions.
Fire Induced Spalling in High Strength Concrete Beams
Sun, 2014-06-01 08:44 — Monther Dwaikat
