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The Effects of High Temperature on the Mechanical Properties of Concrete

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A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Construction and Building Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 January 2022) | Viewed by 12514

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Dr. Francisco Javier Baeza

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Civil Engineering Department, University of Alicante, Ctra. San Vicente s/n, 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain
Interests: structural engineering; cement composites; dynamic behavior; masonry structures
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Dear Colleagues,

Structural concrete became an essential construction material during the second half of the 19th century. Reportedly, one of several reasons for this was its good behavior when exposed to the high temperatures that develop in accidental fire situations, especially when compared to other construction materials of that age. Concrete arguably exhibits better fire performance than structural steel, and recent history provides some notable though dramatic examples for this assertion: the fire in Windsor Tower (Madrid, 2005) and the fire in Grenfell Tower (London, 2017). The effects of high-temperature exposure on the chemical composition and mechanical behavior of conventional concrete are well known. However, the ever-changing world of structural engineering challenges the performance of traditional materials and encourages the development of new solutions in concrete engineering, whose fire performance needs to be addressed. This Special Issue on "The Effects of High Temperature on the Mechanical Properties of Concrete" aims to present the latest findings in the following materials exposed to elevated temperatures: fiber-reinforced concrete; ultra-high-performance concrete; self-compacting concrete; special aggregate concrete (e.g., recycled, lightweight, non-conventional, etc.); advanced cement materials with or without nano-additions. Other topics of interest may include dynamic properties, predictive models, numerical modelling, and non-destructive testing for the evaluation of fire-induced damage.

Dr. Francisco Javier Baeza
Guest Editor

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Keywords

fire engineering
high-temperature exposure
concrete
cement materials
mechanical properties
dynamic behavior
bond strength
ultra-high-performance concrete
recycled waste materials

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 10909 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Residual Compressive Behavior of Self-Compacting Concrete after High Temperature Exposure—Influence of Binder Materials

by Marija Jelčić Rukavina, Ivan Gabrijel, Ivanka Netinger Grubeša and Ana Mladenovič

Materials 2022, 15(6), 2222; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma15062222 - 17 Mar 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1452

Abstract

This paper presents an experimental investigation of the compressive behavior of high-strength self-compacting concrete exposed to temperatures up to 600 °C. Ten different concrete compositions were tested, in which part of the cement (by weight) was replaced by three different mineral additives (5–15% metakaolin, 20–40% fly ash and 5–15% limestone). The stress–strain curves, compressive strength, modulus of elasticity and strain at peak stress were evaluated from uniaxial compression tests. Scanning electron microscope micrographs were also taken to evaluate the damage caused by the high temperatures. A sharp decrease in mechanical properties and an increase in peak strain were observed already after 200 °C for all mixes tested. The different mineral additives used in this study affected the variations of residual compressive strength by 24% and peak strain by 38%, while the variations of residual modulus elasticity were 14%. Comparing the obtained results with the recommendations for compressive strength given in regulatory code EN 1992-1-2 for high strength concrete, it can be concluded that the strength loss observed in EN 1992-1-2 at temperatures up to 400 °C is too conservative. The Popovics model for the relationship between stress and strain provided a good approximation for the experimentally determined stress–strain curves at different temperatures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of High Temperature on the Mechanical Properties of Concrete)

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31 pages, 6738 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of High Temperature Curing and Surface Humidity on the Tensile Strength of UHPC

by Matthias Kalthoff, Michael Raupach and Thomas Matschei

Materials 2021, 14(15), 4260; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma14154260 - 30 Jul 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2016

Abstract

The objective of this study is an investigation of the different parameters that influence the tensile strength of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC). Apart from the shrinkage and stiffness, the tensile strength is an important parameter for the design of crack-free concrete elements, e.g., in machine tool construction. One focus of our work is the influence of concrete curing and the great impact of the mechanical and physical characteristics of hydrated UHPC. For this reason, different curing regimes were investigated. The results show that even after heat treatment or autoclaving, the centric tensile strength of UHPC specimens is strongly influenced by the surrounding ambient humidity. Test specimens that were stored under water after a heat treatment or autoclaving and were still wet during the test had the highest tensile strengths. Storage at 20 °C and 65% relative humidity (rH), however, results in a 25% reduction in tensile strength. Alternating storage between water storage at 20 °C water and storage at 65% rH can also reduce the tensile strength dramatically by up to 70%. In particular, samples that were stored at 65% rH right before testing had very low tensile strengths. Surprisingly, the initially low tensile strength of previously dry stored UHPC can be restored by subsequent water storage. In the absence of any microstructural defects, e.g., microcracks, a possible explanation for this phenomenon can be the stress differences due to a humidity gradient between the core and surfaces and shrinkage combined with a continued reaction of the unhydrated binders of the UHPC. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of High Temperature on the Mechanical Properties of Concrete)

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18 pages, 5868 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Thermal and Mechanical Studies of Perlite Concrete Casing for Chimneys in Residential Buildings

by Krzysztof Drozdzol

Materials 2021, 14(8), 2011; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma14082011 - 16 Apr 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2776

Abstract

Chimneys are structures designed to convey exhaust gases from heating devices to the outside of buildings. The materials from which they are made have a great impact on their fire safety, as well as on the safety of the whole building. As current trends in the construction industry are moving towards improving the environmental impact and fire safety, changes to building materials are constantly being introduced. This also applies to the development of chimney technology, as there is still a recognised need for new solutions when it comes to materials used in the production of chimney systems. This article presents the findings of tests carried out on a chimney made from innovative perlite concrete blocks. Four different perlite concrete blocks that differed in bulk densities were analysed. The obtained results were then compared with widely used leca (lightweight expanded clay aggregate) concrete blocks. The test results confirmed high insulation properties of the perlite concrete block, from which the innovative chimney casing was made. The fire safety level was maintained even in high temperatures that occur during soot fire (1000 °C). These properties were retained despite there being no additional insulation of the flue duct. Even though the thermal load decreased the compressive strength of the chimney blocks, they still displayed sufficient average strength of 4.03 MPa. Additionally, the test results confirmed the possibility of recovering heat from the chimney with the efficiency of 23–30%, which constitutes a considerable increase compared to chimneys made from leca concrete blocks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of High Temperature on the Mechanical Properties of Concrete)

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21 pages, 5143 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of High Temperature on the Fracture Properties of Polyolefin Fibre Reinforced Concrete

by Marcos García Alberti, Jaime Carlos Gálvez, Alejandro Enfedaque and Ramiro Castellanos

Materials 2021, 14(3), 601; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma14030601 - 28 Jan 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1757

Abstract

Concrete has become the most common construction material, showing, among other advantages, good behaviour when subjected to high temperatures. Nevertheless, concrete is usually reinforced with elements of other materials such as steel in the form of rebars or fibres. Thus, the behaviour under high temperatures of these other materials can be critical for structural elements. In addition, concrete spalling occurs when concrete is subjected to high temperature due to internal pressures. Micro polypropylene fibres (PP) have shown to be effective for reducing such spalling, although this type of fibres barely improves any of the mechanical properties of the element. Hence, a combination of PP with steel rebars or fibres can be effective for the structural design of elements exposed to high temperatures. New polyolefin fibres (PF) have become an alternative to steel fibres. PF meet the requirements of the standards to consider the contributions of the fibres in the structural design. However, there is a lack of evidence about the behaviour of PF and elements made of polyolefin fibre reinforced concrete (PFRC) subjected to high temperatures. Given that these polymer fibres would be melt above 250 °C, the behaviour in the intermediate temperatures was assessed in this study. Uni-axial tests on individual fibres and three-point bending tests of PFRC specimens were performed. The results have shown that the residual load-bearing capacity of the material is gradually lost up to 200 °C, though the PFRC showed structural performance up to 185 °C. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of High Temperature on the Mechanical Properties of Concrete)

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16 pages, 4657 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Residual Compressive Strength of Recycled Aggregate Concretes after High Temperature Exposure

by Francisco B. Varona, Francisco Baeza-Brotons, Antonio J. Tenza-Abril, F. Javier Baeza and Luis Bañón

Materials 2020, 13(8), 1981; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma13081981 - 23 Apr 2020

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 3036

Abstract

Sustainability requirements are gaining importance in the construction industry, which needs to take specific measures in the design and construction of concrete structures. The use of recycled aggregates in concrete may be of special interest. Recycling a construction waste will close the life cycle of the original materials (e.g., concrete). Thus, environmental benefits would come from the lower waste generation, and from a lower necessity of raw materials for new structures. The current Spanish code for structural concrete considers the use of recycled aggregates in replacement rates up to 20% by aggregate mass, assimilating their properties with those of concretes without aggregate replacement. Higher substitution percentages would require further testing. In this work, substitution of coarse aggregate for recycled aggregates (with replacement percentages of 25%, 50% and 100%) has been studied, and the concrete’s residual properties after exposure to high temperatures (between 350 °C and 850 °C) have been assessed. Compressive strength and capillary water absorption tests were made after heating, and the experiments showed higher residual strength in concretes with the greatest content of recycled aggregates. However, a statistical analysis made with additional data available in the literature seemed to predict otherwise, and the recycled aggregate replacement would have a negative effect on the residual strength. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of High Temperature on the Mechanical Properties of Concrete)

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