A POSITION PAPER FOR EXPLAINABLE INVESTIGATIONS ON THERMAL AND STRUCTURAL BEHAVIOR OF CONCRETE UNDER EXTREME FIRE LOADING  

Abstract

Fire is a process which produces light and heat, posing a serious threat to both life and infrastructure. Structures are neither inherently fire-prone nor entirely fire-proof; their vulnerability depends largely on the specific causes of the fire, which can be triggered by natural events or human-induced hazards. These elevated temperature in structure can cause dangerous health hazards to directly affected people, severe discomfort due to smoke, and poor serviceability condition if the structure fails in safety norms. High temperature leads to acute damages in structure as well and become main cause of casualties, economic, and material losses.  This study aims to investigate the thermal and structural behaviour of concrete beams when exposed to severe fire conditions. The effect of different temperatures on plain and reinforced concrete (PCC and RCC respectively) by using finite element method (FEM) simulations. Additionally, the study examines performance of various grade of concrete, when exposed to severe conditions. The analysis reveals that Higher-grade concrete exhibits higher displacement, crack width, stress, and strain but lower thermal conductivity compared to lower-grade concrete. These elevated temperatures can cause severe stresses in the concrete resulting expansion, spalling, and resulting structure’s non-functionality. Reinforced concrete display lower stress concentrations along with minimal strain up to 250℃. These findings contribute to the existing knowledge base and support the development of enhanced fire safety regulations and performance-based design methodologies. Also, it can lead to improved construction practices and improving materials, reducing the risk of catastrophic failures during fire incidents and enhancing the resilience of buildings and infrastructure.

Keywords: Fire, Beam, RCC, Resilience, Infrastructures, ATENA