FINITE ELEMENT INVESTIGATION OF REINFORCED

CONCRETE BEAMS EXPOSED TO FIRE

Progress Report I

submitted by

THENAMUDHAN A
CE13M102

Under the Guidance of

Dr. B. Nageswara Rao

MASTER OF TECHNOLOGY

in

CIVIL ENGINEERING

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING DIVISION

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY MADRAS
NOVEMBER 2013
1. INTRODUCTION

Fire is one of the most severe conditions which may be encountered by a reinforced
concrete (RC) building during its service life. Therefore, the fire resistance of RC members is
an important issue that needs to be considered in the design of RC buildings. In current
design codes, there are tables that specify some deemed-to-satisfy requirements of the
minimum member dimensions and the minimum concrete cover for the reinforcing steel.
These requirements are obtained from some empirical approaches and fire resistance tests of
some RC members. These tests include subjecting the specific RC member to a prescribed
temperature-time curve as defined by BS 476-20 or ISO 834-1. These results provide a very
little insight into the effects of many important factors such as geometrical configuration,
restraint condition, material properties etc. In order to understand the effects of such
parameters it is essential to simulate the RC members exposed to fire.

2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE

W.Y. Gao et al., 2013, studied the practical implementation of performance-based fire
safety design of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. His study presents a three-dimensional
(3D) finite element (FE) model for the accurate prediction of both the thermal and the
mechanical behaviour of RC beams exposed to fire. In his FE model, particular attention has
been paid to the modelling of interfacial bond-slip behaviour between the reinforcing steel
and the concrete. His study shows that the inclusion of the steel-to-concrete interfacial
behaviour leads to more accurate predictions of the deflection of RC beams exposed to fire.
Predictions from his FE model also allow the complex distribution and evolution of stresses
in the reinforcing steel and the concrete to be examined in detail, leading to a better
understanding of the local responses of RC beams exposed to fire.

V.K.R. Kodur et al., 2007, had developed a numerical model, in the form of a computer
program, for tracing the behaviour of reinforced concrete (RC) beams exposed to fire. He has
explained the three stages associated with the numerical procedure for evaluating fire
resistance of RC beams; namely, fire temperature calculation, thermal analysis and strength
analysis. A simplified approach to account for spalling under fire conditions had been
incorporated into the model. The use of the computer program for tracing the response of RC
beams from the initial pre-loading stage to collapse stage, due to the combined effect of fire
and loading had been demonstrated. Through the results of his numerical study, it had been
shown that the type of failure criterion has significant influence on predicting the fire
resistance of RC beams.

Moetaz M. El-Hawary et al.1996, had investigated the effect of fire on the flexural
behaviour of RC beams. Four groups of RC beams were cast, exposed to fire at 650 C for
time durations of 0, 30, 60 and 120 min and then cooled by water. The concrete compressive
strengths of the beams were determined nondestructively using a Schmidt hammer. The
beams were tested in flexure by applying two transverse loads incrementally. Strains and
deflections were measured at each load increment. Cracking loads, crack propagation and
ultimate loads were recorded for each beam. A reduction of ultimate loads, increase in
deflection, increase in both compressive and tensile strains and reduction in concrete
compressive strength due to fire exposure were observed.

3. OBJECTIVE

The main objectives of the study is to simulate a reinforced concrete beam exposed to fire
using the finite element software ABAQUS considering parameters such as:-

(a) geometrical configuaration

(b) load level
(c) restraint conditions
(d) temperature dependent material properties
(e) percentage of longitudinal reinforcement
(f) cover thickness
(g) cracking and tension stiffening behaviour
4. SCOPE

Effect of percentage of longitudinal reinforcement and cover thickness on the developed

thermal stresses, thermal strains and thermal displacements will be studied and curves will be
plotted between the percentage of longitudinal reinforcement, cover thickness and the
response such as thermal stresses, thermal strains and thermal displacements.

5. METHODOLOGY

The methodology for the present study includes the following:

Simulation of the heat transfer analysis in a reinforced concrete beam subjected to heat
flux and temperature boundary conditions to understand the distribution of heat flux and
temperature distribution.
A typical RC beam is modeled using Abaqus, Version 6.12-3
The values of percentage of longitudinal reinforcement and cover thickness are plotted
against corresponding values of thermal stresses, thermal strains and thermal
displacements developed due to the temperature gradient

6. WORK DONE

The study is conducted on beams with different steel ratios and cover thicknesses.
Initially a reference beam of dimension 6000 mm 450 mm 250 mm is modeled as shown.
Concrete is modeled using eight node heat transfer brick element. The main steel
reinforcement and stirrups are modeled using two node heat transfer link.
The bond between concrete and the reinforcement is established using embedded
elements. The beam is subjected to a heat flux at one face and temperature boundary
conditions are applied in two of the faces. The remaining faces are assigned the radiation
condition i.e. they will radiate the heat developed.
 The material parameters required for the heat transfer analysis are young's modulus,
poisson ratio, density, thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity and coefficient of thermal
expansion of concrete and steel. To include the radiation effect in the beam stefan-boltzmann
constant had to be mentioned. To mesh the beam eight node heat transfer brick element has
been used for the concrete section and two node heat transfer link element has been used for
the steel section.
The heat transfer analysis gives the heat flux distribution, nodal temperature distribution
and reaction flux distribution which enables us to understand the mechanism of heat
conduction of through the beam

Fig.1. Finite Element Model of the Beam

Fig.2. Finite Element model of the beam with heat flux applied at the top surface and
temperature boundary conditions at the ends

7. TIME FRAME FOR FUTURE WORK

Work Nov13 Dec13 Jan14 Feb14 Mar14 Apr14 May14

FEM Modeling and
Analysis
Development of
curves between %
of steel and various
responses
Thesis write up and
submission

8. REFERENCES
1. W.Y. GAO, JIAN-GUO DAI, J.G. TENG, G.M. CHEN., Finite Element Modelling
of Reinforced Concrete Beams exposed to fire, Engineering Structures 52(2013) 488-501.
1. ZHAOHUI HUANG, IAN W. BURGESS and ROGER J. PLANK., Behaviour of
Reinforced Concrete Structures in Fire.
2. JOSKO OZ BOLT, JOSIPA BOSNJAK., GORAN PERISKIC and AKANSHU
SHARMA., 3D Numerical Analysis of Reinforced exposed to elevated temperature,
Engineering Structures 58(2014) 166-174.

3. V.K.R. KODUR AND M.B. DWAIKAT., Design Equation for predicting fire
resistance of reinforced concrete beams, Engineering Structures, February 2011, Volume 33,
Issue 2.

4. M.B. DWAIKAT and V.K.R. KODUR., A Numerical approach for modelling the fire
induced restraint effects in reinforced concrete beams, Fire Safety Journal, May 2008,
Volume 43, Issue 4.

5. J.A. PURKISS, Second Edition, Fire Safety Engineering: Design of Structures.