Department Of Civil Engineering

College of Engineering Dawadimi

Shaqra University
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Development of Fire-Resistant High

Strength Concrete Tunnel Lining
By:

Redwan rfaeiah Under the supervision of

Mishal Essa Dr. Asif Hussain Shah

Assistant Professor
Mohammed Abdulaali

Talal saad
 Introduction

Concrete has been the primary material for

construction for many years and the effect of fire on
concrete has long been studied. This has been
particularly the case in tunnels, where the impact on
both human life and the structural integrity of the
construction has always been a major factor in the
designer's mind. 1996 Channel Tunnel fire
damage
 Background

Designers became even more focused on the

structural fire protection of concrete tunnel
linings. After the Great Belt Tunnel fire in
Denmark (1994), the Channel Tunnel fire
(1996) Reports suggest that the financial cost
from direct damage and lost revenue of the
1996 Channel Tunnel fire was in the order of
£200 million.

1996 Channel Tunnel fire

damage
 CONCRETE AND TUNNELS

More recently, a spate of major tunnel fires

have indicated that an even more critical fire
scenario needs to be considered. Becous of
concert rapidly exceeding 1200 C and peaking
at 1350 C (melting temperature of concrete)
after 60 min and then falling gradually to 1200
C at 120 min, the end of the curve.
 THERMAL PROPERTIES OF HSC

The thermal properties that influence the

temperature rise and distribution in a concrete
structural section are:
1- Thermal conductivity
2- Specific heat
3- Thermal expansion
4- Mass loss
These properties depend on the type of
aggregate and composition of the concrete mix.
 FIRE AND CONCRETE MATERIAL

Compressive and tensile strength

The changes in strength of concrete as a function of
increasing temperature, two aspects of heated concrete
need pointing out.
1- Influence of transient creep
Transient creep (strictly, it should be called load-induced
thermal strain , LITS)
2- Influence of loading during heating
concrete during heating and inhibits the development of
cracks
 TYPES OF FAILURE IN FIRE
The failure of structural concrete in fire varies according to the nature of the fire (e.g. rate
of temperature increase and maximum temperature); the loading system; and the type of
structure exposed to the fire.

• loss of bending or tensile strength

• loss of bond strength;
• loss of shear or torsional strength
• loss of compressive strength
• Explosive spalling of concrete The Channel Tunnel
after the fire. The damage to the
concrete is clearly visible. (1996)
 TYPES OF FAILURE IN FIRE

Bending tensile failure

Bending failure of load-bearing bending elements generally occurs when the
reinforcement fails as the tensile strength of the steel is reduced on heating.
Bond failure
Failure of reinforced concrete members may occur in fire when heating reduces
the bond strength between the steel and concrete
Shear torsion
failure Shear or torsion failure in fire is influenced by the concrete tensile strength
and is much more complicated to determine than bending failure, because of
limited experimental experience
 CONCRETE SPALLING
Concrete spalling can be described as the breaking off of layers or pieces of
concrete from the surface of a structural element when exposed to the high
and rapidly increasing temperatures experienced in fires
Surface spalling
Small pieces of concrete, up to 20mm in size, are gradually and nonviolently dislodged from
the surface during the early part of the fire.
Corner break-off
corner break-off occurs at the edges and corners of concrete elements during the latter
stages of the fire when the concrete has cracked and weakened.
Explosive spalling
Unquestionably the most serious and dangerous form of spalling that occurs during the first
20–30 minutes of a fire when the temperature in the concrete is in the range of 150-250°C.
 PREDICTION OF SPALLING

How PP fibers inhibit explosive spalling?

• The addition of suitable polypropylene monofilament

microfibres (PP) to counteract explosive spalling in cast
concrete has been accepted for many years, but to
design an optimized microfibre to prevent explosive
spalling, it is necessary to have an understanding of the
detailed mechanism by which these fibres function.
 FIRE RESISTANCE
Can be defined as the ability of an element (not a material) of building construction to fulfil its
designed function for a period in the event of a fire.
• limit state for insulation (I): A fire on one side of a wall, or underside of a floor, acting as a compartment
boundary.

• limit state for integrity (E): A wall or floor acting as a compartment boundary should not allow passage
of smoke or flame from one compartment to another as a result of breaks or cracks in the wall or floor.

• limit state for load-carrying capacity (R): The members in a structural assembly should resist the applied
loads in a fire.
 FIRE RESISTANCE

Factors affecting fire resistance of concrete elements are:

 size and shape of elements;

 disposition and properties of reinforcement or tendon
 the load supported
 the type of concrete and aggregate.
 protective concrete cover provided to reinforcement or tendons.
 conditions of end support.
 the overall thickness of the section in order to keep heat transfer through the
floor or wall within acceptable limits.
METHODS OF ASSESSMENT
OF FIRE RESISTANCE
 TUNNEL FIRES

Rectangular tunnels of the cut-and-cover type, formed of reinforced concrete,

can be categorized as structures whose principal loading condition is
controlled by bending considerations. Had the Channel Tunnel not been bored
(deliberately) in the impermeable chalk layer, the loss of the concrete lining
would have resulted in flooding of the tunnel, with a much more serious
outcome.
 CONCLUSION
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES

Any structural analysis of heated concrete that ignores LITS will be wholly inappropriate and
will yield erroneous results, particularly for columns exposed to fire.

EXPLOSIVE SPALLING
In low- permeability concrete, spalling could be eliminated by the appropriate inclusion of
polypropylene fibers in the mix (this requiring further research) and/or by protecting the
exposed concrete surface with a thermal barrier.