Product Overview:

In this tutorial, we explore the simulation of fire conditions on a reinforced concrete (RC) beam, comprising both concrete and steel bars, using Abaqus for thermal analysis. The concrete beam is modeled as a three-dimensional solid part, while the steel bars are also represented as three-dimensional solid components. It is essential to model the steel bars as solid parts to accurately account for heat transfer; wire parts and truss elements do not facilitate this during analysis.

To effectively model the behavior of concrete under fire exposure, suitable material properties must be defined. For this purpose, specific heat and thermal conductivity that depend on temperature are utilized for both the concrete and steel bars. The heat transfer analysis is conducted for a fire duration of two hours. Three heat transfer methods are implemented: the convection method, using a film condition to simulate fire exposure with an associated amplitude for temperature fluctuation; radiative heat transfer applied to the surfaces of the concrete beam; and conduction considered between the steel bars and the concrete beam. Fixed boundary conditions are applied to both ends of the beam, and an initial temperature is set for the entire model. A fine mesh is crucial to achieving accurate results.

Upon completion of the simulation, various outputs are available, including nodal and element temperatures, the increase in concrete beam temperature, temperature distribution within the steel bars, and more.