Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Limited effect of diameter of fibres on spalling protection of concrete in fire

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Materials and Structures Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of diameter, length and melting point of fibres on spalling protection of concrete in fire. Three different diameters (0.012, 0.02 and 0.04 mm), three different lengths (9, 12 and 19 mm) and two different types (nylon and polypropylene) of fibres were investigated. Fibre volume (v%) or fibre weight per unit volume of concrete are commonly used parameters for fibre addition, but are dependent parameters on diameter of fibres. This study reports a better parameter for the expression of fibre addition which is independent of diameter, namely, number of fibres per cubic centimeter (N). When 12 mm length polypropylene fibre addition is expressed by v%, the minimum requirement for spalling protection is v = 0.20% for 0.04 mm diameter fibres and v = 0.05% for 0.02 mm diameter fibres. If the fibre addition is expressed in N, the minimum requirement is N = 133/cm3 for both cases regardless of fibre diameter. Hence, the diameter of fibres has limited effect on spalling protection of concrete. If the fibre addition is expressed in v%, the diameter seems to have an effect due to the fact that parameter v% is a function of diameter. In addition, increasing the length of fibres has the effect of reducing the required N for spalling protection. When fibre length is increased from 12 to 19 mm, the minimum requirement is reduced from N = 133 to 42/cm3. The melting point of the fibres also has an influence on spalling protection, which is discussed in detail by comparing nylon and polypropylene fibre results.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Hertz KD (1992) Danish investigations on silica fume concretes at elevated temperatures. ACI Mater J 89:345–347

    Google Scholar 

  2. Phan LT, Carino NJ (2002) Effects of test conditions and mixture proportions on behavior of high-strength concrete exposed to high temperature. ACI Mater J 99:54–66

    Google Scholar 

  3. Han CG, Han MC, Heo YS (2009) Improvement of residual compressive strength and spalling resistance of high-strength RC columns subjected to fire. Constr Build Mater 23:107–116

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Sanjayan G, Stocks LJ (1993) Spalling of high-strength silica fume concrete in fire. ACI Mater J 90:170–173

    Google Scholar 

  5. Consolazio GR, McVay MC, Rish JW III (1998) Measurement and prediction of pore pressures in saturated cement mortar subjected to radiant heating. ACI Mater J 95:525–536

    Google Scholar 

  6. Fu YF, Wong YL, Tang CA, Poon CS (2004) Thermal induced stress and associated cracking in cement-based composite at elevated temperature. Part II: thermal cracking around multiple inclusions. Cem Concr Compos 26:113–126

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Heo YS, Sanjayan JG, Han CG, Han MC (2011) Construction application of fibre/mesh method for protecting concrete columns in fire. Constr Build Mater 25:2928–2938

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Bilodeau A, Kodur VKR, Hoff GC (2004) Optimization of the type and amount of polypropylene fibres for preventing the spalling of lightweight concrete subjected to hydrocarbon fire. Cem Concr Res 26:163–174

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Suhaendi SL, Horiguchi T (2006) Effect of short fibres on residual permeability and mechanical properties of hybrid fibre reinforced high strength concrete after heat exposition. Cem Concr Res 36:1672–1678

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Jansson R, Boström L (2008) Spalling of concrete exposed to fire. Fire technology SP report, SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden

  11. Khoury GA (2008) Polypropylene fibres in heated concrete. Part 2: pressure relief mechanisms and modelling criteria. Mag Concr Res 60:189–204

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Heo YS, Sanjayan JG, Han CG, Han MC (2011) Critical parameters of nylon and other fibres for spalling protection of high strength concrete in fire. Mater Struct 44:599–610

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Heo YS, Sanjayan JG, Han CG, Han MC (2010) Synergistic effect of combined fibers for spalling protection of concrete in fire. Cem Concr Res 40:1547–1554

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Heo YS (2006) Influential factors on fire resistance performance of ultra high strength concrete and mechanism models of spalling phenomenon. Master thesis, Cheongju University, Korea

  15. Knack I (2009) New PP-fibre with exceptional melting characteristics for improved fibre protection in concrete building. In: 1st international workshop on concrete spalling due to fire exposure, Leipzig, Germany, pp 211–220

  16. Phan LT (2007) Spalling and mechanical properties of high strength concrete at high temperature. In: Proceedings concrete under severe conditions, France, pp 1595–1608

  17. Balaguru PN, Shah SP (1992) Fiber-reinforced cement composites. McGraw-Hill Inc., New York

    Google Scholar 

  18. Papworth F (2000) Affect of synthetic fibres and silica fume on explosive spalling of high performance concrete exposed to fire. South East Asia Construction, Trade Link Media, Singapore, pp 1–6

    Google Scholar 

  19. Bentz DP (2000) Fibers percolation, and spalling of high-performance concrete. ACI Mater J 97:351–359

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The work presented in this paper was funded by Monash Graduate Scholarship (MGS) from Monash University, and Australian Research Council Grant DP 0664309.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia

    Young-Sun Heo

  2. Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, PO Box 218, Hawthorn, VIC, 3122, Australia

    Jay G. Sanjayan

  3. Department of Architectural Engineering, Cheongju University, Cheongju, Chungbuk, Republic of Korea

    Cheon-Goo Han & Min-Cheol Han

Authors
  1. Young-Sun Heo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jay G. Sanjayan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Cheon-Goo Han
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Min-Cheol Han
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jay G. Sanjayan.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Heo, YS., Sanjayan, J.G., Han, CG. et al. Limited effect of diameter of fibres on spalling protection of concrete in fire. Mater Struct 45, 325–335 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-011-9768-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-011-9768-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation