- Author
- Williams, B. K. | Kodur, V. K. R. | Bisby, L. A. | Green, M. F.
- Title
- Performance of FRP-Strengthened Concrete Slabs in Fire.
- Coporate
- National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario
- Report
- NRCC-46965,
- Book or Conf
- Advanced Composite Materials, 4th International Conference. Proceedings. July-20-23, 2004, Alberta, Canada, 1-8 p., 2004
- Keywords
- concrete slabs | slabs (members) | high temperature | fire resistance | construction | insulation | fire tests manufacturing | temperature | laminates
- Identifiers
- fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) materials; material behavior at high temperature; slab strengthening and insulation details; laminate properties; insulation properties
- Abstract
- Continuing advances in the manufacturing techniques and performance of fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) materials have allowed FRPs to move from playing a secondary role in civil infrastructure to one that is a genuinely feasible construction alternative. With a wider database of knowledge and established methods for prediction of fire endurance, applications of FRP materials can expand into interior building applications, where fire is a critical concern. An on-going research program at Queen's University and the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) aims to evaluate the behaviour of FRP-strengthened members at high temperature, and to recommend design guidelines for safe use of FRP in buildings. Experimental studies were conducted to evaluate the heat transfer behaviour of small-scale concrete slabs strengthened with FRP sheets and insulated with a unique two-component fire protection system. The slabs were subjected to a standard ASTM E119 fire and their overall behaviour was observed. The thickness of the insulation was previously established as a parameter vital to the fire endurance of FRP-strengthened reinforced concrete members. Thus, the insulation thickness was varied to study its ability to maintain low temperatures at the FRP bondline, which are critical to preventing delamination of FRP and insulation. A finite difference model was developed to predict temperatures throughout the insulation, FRP and concrete during fire exposure. Model predictions were compared against test data in an effort to validate the model. Both experimental and analytical data are promising in that they indicate that appropriately insulated FRP-strengthened concrete slabs can provide adequate fire performance.