Fire Endurance of Insulated FRP-Strengthened Square Concrete Columns

Synopsis: Increased use of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) materials for strengthening of concrete structures has raised concerns regarding the behavior of such FRP systems in fire. Limited information is currently available on the fire endurance of FRPstrengthened concrete systems. This paper presents results from full-scale fire resistance experiments on two square reinforced concrete (RC) columns. A comparison is made between the fire performance of a conventional RC column and that of an FRPstrengthened and insulated RC column. Data obtained during the experiments show that the fire behavior of FRP-wrapped and insulated square concrete columns, protected using an appropriate fire protection system, is as good as that of unstrengthened RC columns. Factors that significantly influence the fire resistance of FRP-reinforced concrete columns are discussed. It is demonstrated that satisfactory fire resistance ratings for FRP-wrapped square concrete columns can be obtained through careful design and by incorporating appropriate fire protection measures into the overall structural system.