Fire Performance of Water-Cooled GFRP Columns. I: Fire Endurance Investigation
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Abstract
Structural fire endurance experiments were conducted on full-scale cellular glass fiber-reinforced (GFRP) columns under axial compression and subjected to ISO834 fire exposure from one side. Unprotected columns can resist fire for more than 30 min, which is sufficient for occupants to be evacuated from smaller buildings. The closed cellular cross-section prevented the rapid heating of the webs, which could therefore continue stabilizing the face sheet on the cold side against buckling. Water cooling was proven to offer an effective active fire-protection system. The structural function of the column could be maintained for two hours. Previously developed models were capable of accurately predicting the time-dependent temperature responses, modulus degradation, and time to failure.
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Acknowledgments
The writers would like to thank the Swiss National Science Foundation for its financial support (Grant No. NSF-CH200020-117592/1), Mr. Russell Loveridge of the Laboratory for Architectural Production (LAPA), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) for assistance with CNC cutting, and Martin Marietta Composites (Raleigh, North Carolina) for supplying the experimental materials.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Composites for Construction
Volume 15 • Issue 3 • June 2011
Pages: 404 - 412
Copyright
© 2011 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 14, 2009
Accepted: Jul 28, 2010
Published online: Aug 3, 2010
Published in print: Jun 1, 2011
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