Finite Element Analysis and Calculation Method of Residual Flexural Capacity of Post-fire RC Beams

Fire tests and subsequent bending tests of four reinforced concrete (RC) beams were performed. Based on these tests, the post-fire performance of RC beams was further studied using finite-element simulation through reasonable selection of suitable thermal and thermodynamic parameters of steel and concrete materials. A thermodynamic model of RC beams with three sides under fire was built using finite-element analysis (FEA) software ABAQUS. The FEA model was validated with the results of fire tests. Different factors were taken into account for further parametric studies in fire using the propsed FE model. The results show that the main factors affecting the fire resistance of the beams are the thickness of the concrete cover, reinforcement ratio of longitudinal steel, the fire exposure time and the fire exposure sides. Based on the strength reduction formula at high temperature of steel and concrete and four test results, an improved section method was proposed to develop a calculation formula to calculate the flexural capacity of RC beams after fire. The theoretical calculation method proposed in this paper shows good agreement with FEA results, which can be used to calculate the flexural capacity of RC beams after fire.

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