The impact of fire on seismic resistance of fibre reinforced polymer strengthened concrete structural systems

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a research project to study the seismic resistance of fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) strengthened concrete members after fire exposure. Specifically, the paper presents results of FRP strengthened reinforced concrete columns exposed to a standard fire including temperatures measured during the test and a discussion of the loads applied to the columns. Finally, the paper also presents the impact of lateral loading on structural columns after fire to assess the effectiveness of structural resistance of fire-damaged FRP strengthened building elements in case of an earthquake. Numerical models to simulate the lateral behaviour are presented and the predictions are compared to the test results. Since the FRP strengthened columns were insulated with fire protection, the lateral load resistance of the unstrengthened column was reduced by less than 5% due to fire exposure.