FireDOC Search

Author
Phan, L. T. | Carino, N. J.
Title
Fire Performance of High Strength Concrete: Research Needs.
Coporate
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
Book or Conf
Advanced Technology in Structural Engineering. ASCE/SEI Structures Congress 2000. Proceedings. May 8-10, 2000, Philadelphia, PA, Elgaaly, M., Editors, 2000
Keywords
concretes | high strength concrete | compressive strength | elastic modulus | spalling | fire tests | mechanical properties | test methods
Abstract
A compilation of fire test data which shows distinct behavioral differences between high-strength concrete (HSC) and normal strength concrete (NSC) at elevated temperature is presented. The differences are most pronounced in the temperature range of 20 {degrees}C to 400 {degrees}C. What is more important is the observed explosive spalling of HSC speciments during fire tests. However, no explanations were found for why spalling did not occur in all HSC speciments. A comparison of test results with current code provisions on the effects of elevated temperatures on concrete strength shows that the CEN Eurocodes and the CEB provisions are unsafe for predicting mechanical properties of HSC. Aspects of analytical modeling for predicting the buildup of internal pressure during heating are also discussed. The paper condludes with recommended research needs, identified as a result of a workshop on fire performance of HSC, convened at NIST in February 1997.