The Performance of

CFRP Strengthening
During a Real Fire
Tim Stratford
Jian-fei Chen
Martin Gillie
The University of Edinburgh

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Background
Carbon fibre reinforced polymer
(CFRP) strengthening

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Background
Example applications of Carbon Fibre Reinforced
Polymer (CFRP) strengthening systems

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Background
Finish (coating resin etc)

Carbon fibre
(preformed plate or wet lay-up)

Bonding adhesive

Tg = 65 - 100C

Concrete substrate
The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Background

Bonding adhesive
Tg 65 to 100C (?)

Preformed CFRP plate

Tg of resin 250C (?)

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Background
Concrete Society Technical Report 55:
Unless a rigorous analysis is undertaken it is
sensible to neglect the strengthening from FRP
in fire situations.
Fire protection.
Regulations may require the application of an
over-coat layer, which has been tested on the
fully-cured composite system

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Background

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Background

Structural alterations
FRP carrying permanent load, and must carry load during fire
Fire protection?

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Background
Dalmarnock compartment fire tests

Unique opportunity to assess CFRP

Strengthening in a Real Fire

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Installation of
Strengthening

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Installation

WINDOW

x
FRP plate 1

Intumescent

FRP plate 2

Unprotected

FRP plate 3

Gypsum Board

1180

1360

1560

FRP NSM

Intumescent

FRP NSM 2

Unprotected

FRP NSM 3

Gypsum Board

1940

2190

2420

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

PLATES

NSM

Gyproc

Unprotected

Intumescent

Gyproc

Unprotected

Intumescent

Installation

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Installation FRP Plates

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Installation FRP Plates

Medium Modulus (MM) CFRP plate, 100x1.2mm.
2-part ambient cure epoxy adhesive.

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Installation FRP Plates

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Installation FRP Plates

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Installation NSM FRP

Near-surface mounted FRP strengthening:
bonded into a groove cut into the concrete soffit
Industry perception: better fire performance.

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Installation NSM FRP

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Installation NSM FRP

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Installation NSM FRP

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Installation NSM FRP

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Gypsum board
2 layers of 12mm board
+ intumescent sealer
(Designed system)

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Experimental Setup
Strain gauges, Thermocouples

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

WINDOW

Experimental Setup

x
7Pt

7Nt

7Mt

1180

6Pt
1360

5Pt*

6Nt*
5Nt

6Mt

5Mt

1560

4Pt
1940

4Rt
4Qt*
4Nt

4Mt

3Pt

3Nt

3Mt

2Pt

2Nt

2Mt

2190

2420

FRP plate 1
FRP plate 2
FRP plate 3
FRP NSM 1
FRP NSM 2
FRP NSM 3

Thermocouples
in FRP bondline

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

WINDOW

Experimental Setup

x
1180

1360

1560

1940

2190

7N

7P

6P

(Dead Gauge)

7M

FRP plate 1

6M

FRP plate 2

5P

5N

5M

FRP plate 3

4P

4N

4M

FRP NSM 1

3P

3N

3M

FRP NSM 2

2P

2N

2M

FRP NSM 3

2420

750

750

Strain gauges on FRP

plates (bonded side)

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Other instrumentation:
-gauges on top of slab
-gauges on top of slab
-gauges against
adjoining wall
Thermocouples through
slab depth
Thermocouples within
compartment (gas phase)
The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Results

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Results

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Results
Gas-phase temperatures
1000
WINDOW

900
FRP plate 1

800

FRP plate 2
FRP plate 3

700
FRP NSM 2
FRP NSM 3

Temperature (C)

FRP NSM

600
500
400
300
200
TC-12-2
TC-14-2

100

TC-17-2
0
0

10

15

20

Time (mins)

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Results

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Unprotected FRP Plate

Results
Fibres on floor (resin burnt off)

WINDOW

FRP plate 1
FRP plate 2
FRP plate 3

FRP NSM
FRP NSM 2
FRP NSM 3

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Intumescent + FRP Plate

Results
Mostly debonded.
Resin mostly burnt off.

WINDOW

FRP plate 1
FRP plate 2
FRP plate 3

FRP NSM
FRP NSM 2
FRP NSM 3

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Gypsum board + FRP Plate

Results
Gypsum board intact.
Plate and adhesive visually sound.

WINDOW

FRP plate 1
FRP plate 2
FRP plate 3

FRP NSM
FRP NSM 2
FRP NSM 3

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Unprotected NSM FRP

Results
Bonding adhesive burnt away
from beneath and to sides,
leaving fibre in FRP exposed.
WINDOW

FRP plate 1
FRP plate 2
FRP plate 3

FRP NSM
FRP NSM 2
FRP NSM 3

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Intumescent + NSM FRP

Results
Intumescent layer intact;
FRP and adhesive in place.

WINDOW

FRP plate 1
FRP plate 2
FRP plate 3

FRP NSM
FRP NSM 2
FRP NSM 3

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Gypsum board + NSM FRP

Results
Gypsum board sound.
FRP and adhesive visually sound.

WINDOW

FRP plate 1
FRP plate 2
FRP plate 3

FRP NSM
FRP NSM 2
FRP NSM 3

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Results
FRP Plates Bondline Temperatures
450
WINDOW

Unprotected

400

Intumescent
Gypsum Board

FRP plate 1

350

FRP plate 2
FRP plate 3

300

FRP NSM 2
FRP NSM 3

Temperature (C)

FRP NSM

250
200
150
100
50
0
0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Time (mins)

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Results
NSM FRP Bondline Temperatures
350
Unprotected

WINDOW

Intumescent

300

Gypsum Board

FRP plate 1
FRP plate 2

250

FRP plate 3

FRP NSM 2
FRP NSM 3

Temperature (C)

FRP NSM

200

150

100

50

0
0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Time (mins)

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Results
FRP Plates Bondline Temperatures
NSM FRP Bondline Temperatures

450

350

Unprotected

400

Intumescent

Unprotected

Gypsum Board
350

Intumescent

300

Gypsum Board

300
Temperature (C)

Temperature (C)

250

200

150

250
200
150
100

100

50
50

0
0

0
0

10

20

30

40

50

60

10

20

30

40

50

60

Time (mins)

Time (mins)

Temperatures >> Tg in all tests.

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Results

FRP Plates - Selected strain gauge readings

WINDOW

5000
Unprotected
Intumescent
Gypsum Board

FRP plate 1

4500

FRP plate 2
FRP plate 3

4000

FRP NSM

3500

FRP NSM 3

Strain ( strain)

FRP NSM 2

3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Time (min)
The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Results

NSM Plates - Central Strain Gauge Readings

WINDOW

5000
Unprotected

4500

FRP plate 1

Intumescent

FRP plate 2

4000

FRP plate 3

Gypsum Board

FRP NSM

3500

FRP NSM 3

Strain (strain)

FRP NSM 2

3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Time (min)
The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Results

NSM Plates - End Strain Gauge Readings

WINDOW

3500
Unprotected
Intumescent
Gypsum Board

FRP plate 1

3000

FRP plate 2
FRP plate 3

FRP NSM

2500

FRP NSM 2

Strain (strain)

FRP NSM 3

2000
1500
1000
500
0
0

10

20

30

40

50

60

-500
Time (min)
The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Results
NSM Plates - Central Strain Gauge Readings

NSM Plates - End Strain Gauge Readings

5000

3500
Unprotected
Intumescent

4500
4000

Gypsum Board

2500

3500
3000

Strain (strain)

Strain (strain)

Unprotected
Intumescent
Gypsum Board

3000

2500
2000
1500
1000

2000
1500
1000
500

500

0
0

0
0

10

20

30
Time (min)

40

50

60

10

20

30

40

50

60

-500
Time (min)

Strains indication of catastrophic failure

NB: - Corrected for temperature effects using T.C. data.
- All strains are the result of thermal effects: no applied load.

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Ongoing work and

Conclusions

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Ongoing Work

Further analysis of complete strain and

thermal dataset
Characterisation of properties of materials used
Modelling of composite strengthened slab
(thermal strains in concrete)
Thermal analysis

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Conclusions

During a real fire, the glass transition temperature

of the adhesive is exceeded.
Gypsum board can be used to insulate the FRP,
but further research is required before it can
be reliably designed
The integrity of NSM strengthening is superior
to plate FRP strengthening during a fire.

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire

Acknowledgements

Concrete Repairs Ltd

BASF Construction

The Performance of CFRP Strengthening During a Real Fire