Papers abstract:

In a fire incident, service loads are present when the structure is engulfed by flames. This sequence—structural loading followed by heat exposure—is used in the finite element (FE) modeling of GFRP-reinforced concrete (RC) slabs. The FE model is validated against two sets of full-scale fire tests on GFRP RC slabs and one set on steel RC slabs. It successfully predicts temperature distribution within the elements and the rapid thermal bowing deflections caused by temperature gradients across the slab depth. Heat transfer analysis parameters were adjusted to achieve realistic heat distribution in unexposed zones. The study discusses key parameters in fire-exposed RC modeling and identifies the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of concrete and reinforcing bars as the most critical factor in predicting deflection behavior. The FE model reveals that stress in GFRP bars increases rapidly in the first 30 minutes of fire exposure before stabilizing. This model serves as an effective tool to determine the required concrete cover and unexposed anchor zones for achieving desired fire resistance.

Product Overview:

This tutorial provides a step-by-step guide for simulating fire effects on concrete structures using ABAQUS, based on methodologies from the referenced ISI paper. Key simulation steps include:

• Thermal analysis (heat transfer with convection/fire exposure).
• Structural analysis (stress-strain response under thermal loads).
• Post-processing (visualizing temperature gradients, stress distribution, and plastic strain).
• Cooling phase simulation (residual stress analysis).

In this tutorial, fire-induced thermal and mechanical behavior of concrete is simulated, according to data from the work of Hajiloo & Green.