Fire endurance of fiber-reinforced polymer-confined concrete columns

The use of fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) for strengthening and rehabilitating reinforced concrete structures has been the subject of numerous research projects and has seen widespread implementation in recent years. Very little information is available on the behavior of FRP materials at high temperatures, however and this is a primary factor discouraging, the widespread application of FRP wraps in buildings where fire-related issues are critical design requirements. This paper presents the results of two full-scale fire endurance tests on circular FRP-wrapped reinforced concrete columns insulated with different thicknesses of fire insulation. Test data are, compared with the predictions of a numerical fire simulation model, and the model is shown to adequately predict the observed thermal and structural response. It is demonstrated that, while currently available infrastructure composites are particularly sensitive to elevated temperatures, appropriately designed FRP-wrapped reinforced concrete columns are capable of achieving the required fire endurances.