Behaviour of fibre reinforced polymer-strengthened T-beams and slabs in fire

This paper presents experimental and numerical results of intermediate-scale and full-scale fire tests conducted on flexurally strengthened reinforced concrete members. Two full-scale reinforced concrete T-beams and two intermediate-scale slabs were strengthened in flexure with carbon fibre reinforced polymer sheets or plates and insulated with a layer of spray-on material. T-beams and slabs were then exposed to a standard fire. T-beams were loaded to their service load. Deflections and temperatures were measured during the tests. A numerical finite-difference/volume heat transfer model was used to simulate the temperature field inside the section. The validity of the numerical model was verified by comparing the predicted temperatures with those recorded during the fire test. Fire test results show that fire endurances of more than 4 h can be achieved using an appropriate insulation system.