A Numerical Evaluation of Insulated CFRP-Strengthened RC Beams Exposed to Fire

Abstract

There are mainly two approaches to improve the fire resistance of FRP systems. While the most common way is to protect or insulate the FRP systems, the other way is to use fibers and resins with better fire-performance. In this paper a numerical investigation for evaluating the fire behavior of insulated CFRP-strengthened RC beams is presented.The effects of external loading and thermal expansion of materials in both the structural and the thermal behavior of composite elements due to loading and elevated temperatures are taken into consideration in a finite element model. The validity of the numerical model isdemonstrated withthe results from an existing experimental study on insulated CFRP-strengthened RC beam. The conclusions of this investigation have been employed to predict the structural behavior of concrete structures successfully.