Abstract
FRP strengthening is critically dependent upon the bonding adhesive. The adhesive used is typically an ambient cure epoxy with a glass transition temperature as low as 60ºC. This paper describes the performance of bonded FRP strengthening within ‘real’ compartment fires, one of which was allowed to grow past flash-over (the Dalmarnock Fire Tests). The aim of these real fire tests was to compliment the laboratory-based fire tests on FRP strengthened members that are currently being undertaken at various research centres. Plate and near-surfacemounted FRP strengthening were applied to the ceiling of a concrete structure, and the FRP was protected using an intumescent coating and gypsum board protection, alongside FRP that was left unprotected. During the fire tests, temperatures and strains were recorded in the adhesive layer and inside the concrete slab. The tests demonstrated the vulnerability of FRP strengthening during a real compartment fire. The glass transition temperature was rapidly exceeded in the adhesive for all samples. The tests also demonstrated that NSM strengthening has superior integrity to plate strengthening during a fire, and that gypsum board fire protection can be used to reduce the temperature of the adhesive, hence slowing degradation of the FRP strengthening.
| Original language | English |
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| Title of host publication | Proceedings of the First Asia-Pacific Conference on FRP in Structures (APFIS-2007) |
| Editors | S.T. Smith |
| Publisher | The University of Hong Kong |
| Pages | 631-636 |
| Publication status | Published - 2007 |