Experimental evaluation of the fire behaviour of insulated fibre-reinforced-polymer-strengthened reinforced concrete columns

In recent years, there has been an increase in the use of fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) materials for strengthening of concrete structures. However, since FRP materials are combustible, and because they are typically applied to the exterior of structural members in these strengthening applications, concerns exist regarding the behaviour of such FRP strengthening systems in fire. There is currently little information available on the fire endurance of FRP-strengthened concrete systems. This paper presents results from full-scale fire resistance experiments on three insulated FRP-strengthened reinforced concrete (RC) columns. A comparison is made between the fire performances of FRP-strengthened RC columns and conventional unstrengthened RC columns tested previously. Data obtained during the experiments is used to show that the fire behaviour of FRP-wrapped concrete columns incorporating appropriate fire protection systems is as good as that of unstrengthened RC columns. Thus, satisfactory fire resistance ratings for FRP-wrapped concrete columns can be obtained by properly incorporating appropriate fire protection measures into the overall FRP-strengthened structural system. Fire endurance criteria and preliminary design recommendations for fire safety of FRP-strengthened RC columns are briefly discussed.