Fire resistance of earthquake damaged reinforced concrete columns

Abstract

The post-earthquake fire (PEF) phenomenon occasionally causes more severe damage than the earthquake itself. In order to investigate the fire-resistance performance of concrete columns, the earthquake damage of concrete structure are defined into three types: cracks, spalling, and residual deformation by earthquake disaster data and seismic experiments. Next, earthquake-damaged models of RC columns are established based on these geometric characteristic parameters. Full-scale earthquake damaged column tests are performed to analyse the failure mode of components under high temperatures. The effects of the geometric characteristic parameters and mechanical performance parameters on the fire resistance of earthquake-damaged RC columns are calculated by ABAQUS. Finally, the damage reduction factors of PEF RC columns are used to evaluate the degradation of fire resistance. The quantitative relationships between PEF RC columns and undamaged columns are established based on the reduction factors. These relationships can provide a rapid assessment of the fire resistance and bearing capacity of earthquake-damaged structures.

Keywords:

• Fire resistance
• geometric characteristic parameters
• mechanical performance parameters
• post-earthquake fire
• reinforced concrete columns

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The authors wish to acknowledge their gratitude towards the National Natural Science Foundation Project (No.51590914, No.52078413, No.52078415) (in China), International cooperation projects of Shaanxi Province (No. 2019KW-047) (in China), Scientific Research Fund of Institute of Engineering Mechanics, China Earthquake Administration (2020EEEVL0415), the Collaborative Innovation Center Project of Shaanxi Province (No. 20JY034) (in China), the Project of Xi’an power supply bureau (No. SGSNXA00XGJS2001560) and Scientific Research Project of Education Department of Shaanxi Province (No. 18JS062) (in China).