Evaluation of Pervious Concrete PC Subjected to High Temperature and Post Fire: Experimental Investigation and Proposed Expressions

Abstract

Based on real fire incidents in parking garages and on roads made with porous concrete, which lead to the degradation of the mechanical properties of materials, an empirical study was conducted to address a research gap in this area. This study examined the impact of thermal and fire exposure on the mechanical properties of porous concrete. Fifteen different sets of specimens were tested to evaluate compressive strength, indirect tensile strength, and flexural strength. The first set served as control specimens, eight sets were used to assess the strength of porous concrete under various elevated temperatures and exposure durations, three sets were used to evaluate strength under cyclic temperature exposure, and the remaining samples were used to assess strength after exposure to intense fire. The results indicated a gradual decline in concrete strength over various time intervals and various temperature, with the reduction being more pronounced with longer and more intense fire exposure, as well as temperature fluctuations. Notably, 45 minutes of fire exposure led to the disintegration of the porous concrete structures and resulted in zero strength.