CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 GENERAL

The development of a nation depends on its infrastructure facilities. India

witnessed remarkable development in the infrastructure sector during 2002-2019. The
fundamental concern during the design of structures is ensuring adequate safety for
occupant under normal and under accident loads, such as fire, blast, impact loads. Fire
risk is ranked second after natural hazards for the infrastructure sector in India (FICCI
2012). Buildings may be exposed to elevated temperatures due to inadequate fire safety
provision, improper functioning of a fire suppression system during critical time, terrorist
attacks, resulting in serious damages and leading to concerns about structural integrity,
serviceability, structural stability and impact the wider economy and environment. The
need for a greater understanding of structural behaviour under elevated temperature was
exemplified over the last two decades by series of high profile fire accidents and research
studies.

The behaviour of structures exposed to fire is usually described in terms of the

concept of fire resistance, which is the duration under exposure to a standard fire time-
temperature curve when some prescribed form of limiting behaviour occurs. Therefore,
fire is one of the most severe conditions which may be encountered by a reinforced
concrete building during its service life. The fire resistance of RC members is an
important issue that needs to be considered in the design of reinforced concrete buildings.

1.2 FAILURE MODE

Behaviour of reinforced concrete under fire or elevated temperatures is one of the

major topics of research today, worldwide. In current design codes, such as BS 8110-2,
ACI 216-1, and IS 456-2000, the fire resistance period of an RC member is usually
determined using a prescriptive approach, such as the tabulated method which specifies
some deemed to satisfy requirements of the minimum member dimensions and the

1
minimum concrete cover for the reinforcing steel. In case of fire or high temperatures,
concrete exhibits relatively good behaviour compared to other building materials.
Nevertheless, during and after fire exposure, its original properties are adversely affected.
Mechanical strength, elasticity modulus and fracture energy get reduced depending on the
duration and the intensity of the fire as well as on the properties of the virgin concrete
itself. Moreover, when exposed to high temperatures, concrete cracks. The surface
exposed to high temperature gets heated quickly, whereas inner parts of the cross-section
have significantly lower temperatures. These temperature gradients induce restrained
stresses and cause the concrete to crack.

Concrete is a three phase material consisting of cement paste, aggregates and free
water. This free water changes its aggregate state as it evaporates (begins at
approximately 105°C), thus increasing the porosity and permeability of concrete. At
approximately 500°C, around 70% of the dehydration reaction is complete and the CSH
gel has been completely destroyed at approx. 850–900°C. The aggregates also lose their
evaporable water and, depending on the type, are subjected to physical changes.
Aggregates expand at high temperatures whereas the degree of expansion depends on the
aggregate type.

In reinforced concrete, there is an additional effect due to the difference between

the thermal dilation of the reinforcement bars and of the concrete. Although,
approximately up to 400°C the thermal expansion of reinforcing steel and concrete is
similar, the difference becomes significant at higher temperatures. Moreover, with
increasing temperature steel resistance decreases, however in contrary to concrete, after
cooling the steel resistance gets almost fully recovered.

Many researchers have performed tests under elevated temperatures or fire to

investigate their effect on structural properties and behaviour of concrete. Considering the
difficulties in measurement at high temperatures, most of the mechanical strength tests
are done after cooling, that is, residual properties are investigated. The list is only
exemplary and not exhaustive. These experiments have clearly demonstrated the
degradation of mechanical properties such as compressive and tensile strength, Young’s
modulus, and flexural toughness due to elevated temperatures and fire.

2
1.3 FIRE ACCIDENTS – EXAMPLES
There are many examples where fires have broken out as a results of natural
disaster, human and machine errors. Documented major fire accidents across the globe
and in India are shown in Table 1.1.
Table 1.1 Fire Accidents Occurred Across the Globe

Sl.No Year Building Description Type of Place / Country

Structure

1 2001 World Trade Centre SFCSD New York / USA

2 2003 Fire tragedies in Nightclubs SFCSD Rhode Island / England

3 2004 Primary School Building RCCFS Tamilnadu / India

4 2007 Oakland Bridge failure SFCSD California / USA

5 2009 Fire tragedies in Nightclubs SFCSD Perm / Russia

6 2010 Hospital Building RCCFS Hyderabad / India

7 2011 Community hall RCCFS Delhi / India

8 2012 Sivakasi firework factory RCCFS Tamilnadu / India

9 2013 Five storey market building RCCFS Kolkata / India

10 2016 Puttingal temple RCCFS Kerala / India

11 2019 Academic Coaching Centre RCCFS Gujarat / India

SFCSD – Steel Frame with Composite Steel Deck, RCCFS-Reinforced Cement Concrete Framed
Structure

3
1.4 MOTIVATION FOR THE PRESENT STUDY

Concrete has certain decisive advantages like ability to be cast in any shape, is

non-combustible and economic compared to other construction materials. The efforts

made to reduce occurrence of fire accidents in residential/dwelling units by government

agencies and building fire research centre in the country are challenging due to the

sudden vertical growth of the country and the proliferation of high rise buildings

necessitated by an increasing population.

Understanding the behaviour of reinforced concrete under fire and mechanical

loads and realistic prediction of the ultimate fire resistance is essential to have adequate

design provisions. Existing codes provide simplified guidelines for the design of

reinforced concrete structures to withstand fire mostly as cover as well as member

thickness and corresponding time of fire resistance.

Many researchers tried to investigate the effect of high temperature on residual

load carrying capacity experimentally and certain guidelines are now available to

analytically predict the mechanical behaviour of reinforced concrete subjected to high

temperatures. Such models require estimating the temperature inside the reinforced

concrete section due to external temperature and empirically reducing the constitutive

laws of materials. The equilibrium conditions are then satisfied to obtain the residual load

carrying capacity of the members. However, this approach is inadequate in predicting the

overall response of structural elements subjected to fire and mechanical loads. This

approach gives no or little information about thermally induced strains and stresses or

about crack patterns due to fire alone or coupled with mechanical loads. Also, this

approach is too simplistic and cannot be used to correctly predict the behaviour of

4
complex sub-assemblies or structural members. Keeping the above-mentioned points in

mind, a new approach has been followed to investigate the coupled thermal-mechanical

behaviour of reinforced concrete structural members.

The approach aims at providing the following information: (1) temperature

profiles inside the RC sections; (2) state of stresses and strains due to external

temperatures; (3) crack patterns developed due to thermal and/or mechanical loads; (4)

change in failure modes, if any due to thermal loads; and (5) load–deflection behaviour of

the structural members subjected to thermal loads, at high temperatures or after cooling.

The approach is equally applicable to determine the behaviour of structural

members such as beams, columns, slabs or of sub assemblages, such as beam–column

joints. Also, the approach has been shown to work very well in predicting the behaviour

of concrete under thermal loads in combination with complex state of stresses such as

anchors under fire loads and tensile loading.

1.5 OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The main objectives and scope of the present research work as follows:

1. To study the thermal and mechanical response of reinforced concrete beam exposed

to fire conditions and mechanical loading using finite element simulation package.

2. To study the effect of cover thickness on fire resistance of reinforced concrete beam.

3. To study effect of various boundary conditions, on various loading conditions fire

resistance of reinforced concrete beam.

4. To predict the effect member thickness, percentage longitudinal rebars and spacing of

stirrups of on fire resistance of reinforced concrete beam.

5
1.6 METHODOLOGY

Methodology for comparative study of reinforced concrete beam exposed to thermal

loading is shown in following Flow chart

Literature Review

Study of Application of Four Point Bending

( Two point loading)

Material Properties

( Mechanical properties and Thermal properties )

Validation of Reinforced Concrete Beam Model

Mechanical Analysis

Thermal-Mechanical Analysis

Fig 1.1 Flow Chart Showing Project Methodologies

1.7 ORGANIZATION OF THESIS

6
The thesis is separated into five chapters:

 The first chapter gives the introduction, failure mode, fire accidents, objectives
and scope, methodology of the present study.
 The second chapter gives the review of previous studies carried out in this area.
 The third chapter presents dimensions of reinforced concrete beam, material
properties of concrete and steel.
 The fourth chapter gives finite element analysis of reinforced concrete beam
subjected to mechanical loading.
 The fifth chapter gives finite element analysis of reinforced concrete beam
subjected to thermal-mechanical loading.
 The sixth chapter deals with the results and discussions.
 The seventh chapter deals with conclusions.

7
 CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 GENERAL

Rapid growth of urban population in developing countries in recent years has

triggered rapid growth in the construction of high rise buildings. Accidental fires do
happen due to improper installation of fire safety equipment or malfunctioning of fire
alarms and water pumps during critical period has resulted in significant issue on the
effect of elevated temperature on concrete and building materials. This leads to a new
dimension of study, the effect of fire or elevated temperature on concrete structures. The
main focus of this research is on the effect of heating on residual mechanical properties
of reinforced concrete beams.

2.2 LITERATURE REVIEW

Josko Ozbolt, Josipa Bosnjak, Goran Periskic and Akanshu Sharma (2013)
investigated the effect of transient temperature on reinforced concrete beam. Numerical
study of the behavior of reinforced concrete beams subjected to standard ISO 834 fire
load followed by mechanical loading is presented. Four different cases were considered
no heating (reference specimen), 1-h, 1.5-h and 2-h heating, each followed by four-point
bending test. They concluded that the load-carrying capacity as well as the initial stiffness
of the beams reduces with the increase in duration of fire exposure. The ratio of the initial
stiffness to the stiffness at 75% of the peak load is found to be high for the reference
specimen, but, this is not the case for the specimens exposed to fire longer than
approximately 1h.

W.Y.Gao, Jian-Guo Dai, J.G Teng and G.M.Chen (2013) presented a three-
dimensional finite element model for the accurate prediction of both the thermal and the
mechanical behavior of RC beams exposed to fire. Particular attention is paid to the
modeling of interfacial bond-slip behavior between the reinforcing steel and the concrete,
an aspect which has rarely been considered by various numerical studies. Results
obtained from this finite element model are compared with existing test data to examine

8
the accuracy of the model. They concluded that a three-dimensional finite element model
allows an in-depth examination of the local behaviour of reinforced concrete beams
exposed to fire in terms of stress and deformation states in the concrete and the steel as
well as their complex interaction.

The proposed a three-dimensional finite element model may be used directly in

performance based fire safety design of reinforced concrete beams as a cost-effective
numerical tool.

R.A. Hawileh, M. Naser, W. Zaidan and H.A Rasheed (2009) performed

Nonlinear transient thermal-stress finite element analysis using the software ANSYS. The
model accounts for the variation in thermal and mechanical parameters of the beams'
constituent materials with temperature, including CFRP and insulation materials. The
modeled insulated T-beam is 3900 mm in length and 400 mm in depth. The width of the
flange and web is 1220 mm and 300 mm. The exterior face of FRP along with the three
sides of the T-beam web were insulated with a 25 mm layer of VG insulation and was
extended to a distance of 125 mm into the bottom underside surfaces of the flange, along
the entire beam length. They concluded that the mid-span deflection increases nonlinearly
during the fire exposure time due to the increase in the total strain on the tension side of
the beams and due to concrete cracking. Successful finite element modeling of this
structure provides economical and alternative solution to expensive experimental
investigations.

V.K.R. Kodur, Ankit Agrawal (2017) presented a finite element based numerical
model is developed in ABAQUS for tracing the response of reinforced concrete beams
exposed to fire. Temperature induced interfacial bond degradation between concrete and
reinforcing steel is specifically taken into account using bond-link element approach.
There are two stages of analysis at each time step. In the first stage, an uncoupled thermal
analysis is carried out to evaluate cross sectional temperatures and associated thermal
gradients in the section due to fire. In the second stage, a stress analysis of the loaded
beam is conducted based on the temperatures calculated in the first stage. They concluded
that the Interfacial bond has an influence on response of reinforced concrete beams under
fire exposure, especially when rebar temperatures exceed 400°C for both NSC and HSC.

9
The current approach of assuming a perfect bond between rebar and concrete in fire
resistance analysis of reinforced concrete structures may be un-conservative in certain
scenarios, especially for RC beams reinforced with smooth rebars.

Solhmirzaei R and Kodur V.K.R (2017) presented a damage based concrete

plasticity model available in ABAQUS is utilized to capture the nonlinear material
behaviour of UHPFRC. Four UHPFRC beams, designated as U-B3, U-B4, U-B5, and U-
B6 tested under predominant shear and flexural loading are utilized for validating the
model. U-B3, U B5 were tested under two point load to simulate pure bending between
points of load application. U-B4, U-B6 were subjected to a single point load to create
high shear capacity as compared to bending moments. They concluded that, In U-B6,
under shear load cracks initiated in shear span and damage further propagated towards
Compression zone. Tension damage in the shear span makes an angle of 49° with
horizontal line. In experiment diagonal tension crack propagated at angle of 52° with
horizontal line. In beam U-B5 under flexural loading, pure bending between load points
creates tensile damage spread along the length of beam between loading points in model
as well as in experiment.

M. B. Dwaikat and V.K.R. Kodur (2009) investigated results from fire

resistance experiments on six RC beams are presented in this paper. Four of these beams,
B3, B4, B5, and B6, were of HSC while the other two beams, B1 and B2, were made
with NSC. Beams B1 and B3 were tested under ASTM E119 standard fire Exposure.
Beams B2 and B4 were tested under short severe design fire exposure. Beams B5 and B6
were tested under long severe design fire exposure. They concluded that the fire
resistance of HSC beams is lower than that of NSC beams. The type of fire exposure has
significant effect on the fire resistance of RC beams. Load level and axial restraint have
significant influence on the fire response of RC beams. Lower loads leads to higher fire
resistance and axially restrained beams have higher fire resistance. Concrete
permeability and load level significantly influence spalling in concrete. The HSC, due to
low permeability, is more prone to spalling than NSC. Axial restraint effect generally
increases fire-induced spalling in RC beams.

10
 R.A Hawileh and M.Z. Naser (2012) developed and simulated the finite element
model using the finite element software, ANSYS 11.0. Different thermal and structural
element types were used in the development of the finite element model. The total
number of elements used in the developed model was 20500 elements. The developed FE
model must go under two stages, transient thermal analysis and structural stress analysis.
They concluded that the GFRP RC beam specimen failed after 128 min of fire exposure
by a sudden increase in deflection that caused failure of beam specimen. The predicted
time to failure in the developed FE model was reached after 130 min. The time to failure
were 130 min, 120 min, 87 min and 57 min for the beams having concrete covers of 70
mm, 65 mm, 60 mm and 45 mm respectively. The fire endurance of FE models
representing a concrete cover of 45, 60 and 65 mm models was 49.2%, 22.3% and 7.7%
less than the validation model with a concrete cover of 70 mm.

E.G. Choi and Y.S. Shin (2011) investigated the effects of concrete compressive
strength and cover thickness on the structural behaviour of reinforced concrete beams
under fire. For this purpose, four normal-strength and high-strength concrete test beams
were fabricated and tested under the ISO 834 standard fire curve to point of the failure.
The test set-up was designed to evaluate the heat distribution and displacement changes
of simply supported beams subjected to sustained loads under fire. They concluded that
the rates of deflection increase for both normal strength and high-strength concrete beams
is very similar before spalling but becomes remarkably high for high-strength concrete
beams after spalling. The time of failure was 151, 223, 140 and 161 min for N4, N5, H4,
and H5 respectively. The cover thickness had an effect on the failure time of NSC
beams, but had no effect on HSC beams. This might be because of spalling. The results
of finite difference method analysis using this proposed model showed section
temperature gradient that was similar to that of the test results.

A Kumar and V Kumar (2003) generated experimental data on residual strength

of reinforced cement concrete beams subjected to fire loading for long duration. Four
RCC beams were cast with similar cross sectional details, length and grade of concrete
and clear cover. Four different cases were considered no heating (reference specimen),

11
1-h, 1.5-h and 2-h heating, each followed by four point bending test. They concluded that
the reduction found in initial stiffness of fire exposed RCC beams were more than the
reduction in near ultimate stiffness. Amount of this reduction in stiffness increased with
the increase in fire exposed duration. More Spalling was observed in beam exposed to
fire for 2 h.

2.3 INFERENCES FROM LITERATURE REVIEW

The inference drawn after the review of various research papers on an assorted
topics such as strength assessment of concrete and rebar, behaviour of reinforced
concrete beam under fire loading is
 Extensive study has been made to understand the behaviour of reinforced concrete
beam under normal and elevated temperatures but study on residual strength of
slab exposed to elevated temperature is very limited.
 Limited research was undertaken on various influencing parameters such as cover
thickness, member thickness, boundary conditions, percentage longitudinal rebars
and spacing of stirrups of reinforced concrete beam exposed to thermal loading.

2.4 SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW

Based on the literature review, the following conclusions are reached. The load
carrying capacity as well as the initial stiffness of the beams reduces with the increase in
duration of fire exposure. 3D FE model allows an in depth examination of the local
behaviour of RC beams exposed to fire in terms of stress and deformation states in both
the concrete and the steel as well as their complex interaction. The 3D FE model may be
used directly in performance based fire safety design of RC beams as a cost-effective
numerical tool.

Interfacial bond has an influence on response of reinforced concrete beams under

fire exposure, especially when rebar temperatures exceed 400°C for both NSC and HSC.
Temperature induced bond degradation is crucial for evaluating fire resistance of HSC

12
beams. The fire resistance of HSC beams is lower than that of NSC beams. The type of
fire exposure has significant effect on the fire resistance of RC beams. Load level and
axial restraint have significant influence on the fire response of RC beams. Lower loads
leads to higher fire resistance and axially restrained beams have higher fire resistance.
Concrete permeability and load level significantly influence spalling in concrete. The
HSC, due to low permeability, is more prone to spalling than NSC. Axial restraint effect
generally increases fire-induced spalling in RC beams. The rate of deflection increase for
both normal strength and high-strength concrete beams are very similar before spalling
but becomes remarkably high for high-strength concrete beams after spalling.

A very few literatures are available on fie resistance experiment test studies. Which are
more expensive and give little information. FE modeling would provide an economical
and alternative solution to expensive and time consuming experiment testing.

13
 CHAPTER 3

DIMENSIONS AND MATERIAL PROPERTIES OF RC BEAM

3.1 GENERAL

In this Chapter, dimensions of reinforced concrete beam and material

properties of concrete and steel are presented. The dimensions of reinforced
concrete beam model are developed on the basis of existing literature. This is useful
to study the behaviour of reinforced concrete beam using finite element analysis
software ABAQUS 6.11. Material properties such as mechanical properties and
thermal properties of concrete and steel were taken from existing literature.
Material properties of reinforced concrete beam are very important to get accurate
results from software ABAQUS 6.11.

3.2 DIMENSIONS OF REINFORCED CONCRETE BEAM

A Kumar and V Kumar have performed experiments on reinforced concrete

beams subjected to fire loads following ISO 834 curve for the duration of 1 h and 2
h, all beams experiencing three sided heating. Specimens were subsequently cooled
to room temperature and loaded in four point bending test up to failure. One
specimen was tested as a reference to measure the beam resistance without
influence of high temperatures. Geometry of the four point bending reinforced
concrete beams is shown below

Fig 3.1 Geometry of the four point bending Reinforced Concrete Beam

14
3.2.1 Details of the Test Specimen used for the FE Model

The Details of the Test Specimen are shown in following table

Table 3.1 Details of the Test Specimen

Details Dimensions

Cross section 200 mm width x 300 mm depth

Beam Length 3950 mm

Span centre to centre 3200 mm

Support condition Simply supported

Bottom Reinforcement 12 mm

Top Reinforcement 12 mm

Stirrups 8 mm @ 170 mm c/c

Grade of Steel Reinforcement Fe415 for all steel

Number of Bottom Reinforcement 4

Number of Bent up Reinforcement 2

Number of Top Reinforcement 2

Concrete cover to steel 25 mm

Type of loading Two point loading ( Four point bending)

15
3.3 MATERIAL PROPERTIES OF REINFORCED CONCRETE BEAM

Material properties of reinforced concrete beam are most influencing input

parameters to get accurate results from finite element analysis software ABAQUS 6.11.
Material properties such as mechanical properties and thermal properties of concrete and
steel were taken from existing literature. Material properties such as mechanical
properties and thermal properties of concrete and steel are presented here.

3.3.1.1 Mechanical Properties of Steel

The steel rebar specimen is a highly isotropic and homogenous material. The
mechanical properties of steel are Young's modulus, Poisson ratio, Yield stress and
Ultimate Stress. The mechanical properties of steel are mostly influence the strength and
stiffness of reinforced concrete beam. The mechanical properties of steel are shown in
following table.

Table 3.2 Mechanical Properties of Steel

Mechanical Properties Value

Young's modulus ( N/mm2 ) 210000

Poisson ratio 0.3

Yield stress ( N/mm2 ) 415

Ultimate Stress ( N/mm2 ) 550

3.3.1.2 Thermal Properties of Steel

The heating of reinforcement steel is dominated by conduction of heat from the

exposed concrete provided the concrete cover is not removed through spalling or
cracking. The prediction of heat transfer in reinforcing steel is a relatively straight
forward process requiring only density, specific heat, and conductivity to be defined.

16
Steel is highly isotropic in nature and has meant that these properties have been well
defined in Eurocode 3.

 The density of all types of steel remains unaffected by elevated temperatures. The
density of steel is taken to be 7850 kg/m3 as recommended by Eurocode 3.
 Thermal expansion is generally defined as the ratio of the strain resulting from the
change in temperature to the change in temperature. Under increasing temperature,
steel tends to expand and this has been linear for the most part with only limited non
linearity at approximately 700°C due to a phase change in the atomic structure of
the steel. Eurocode 3 provides details of the free thermal strain curve to reinforce
steel which includes the plateau relating to phase change. The values provided in the
Eurocode 3, are shown in Table.
0.01

0.01

0
Δl/l

0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800
Temperrature (ºC)

Fig.3.2 Thermal Expansion of Steel at different elevated temperature

 Among the construction materials, steel is known for its low specific heat capacity.
This also varies slightly with temperature as reported by (kodur et al. 2010). There
is a slight increase in the specific heat capacity with increased temperature but
around 750°C to 800°C there is a sharp spike resulting from the phase change of the
material. The expression in Eurocode 3 provides details of the specific heat of steel
for temperature ranging from 20°C-1200°C are shown in Table 3.3

17
 4000
3500
3000

Specific Heat (J/kg/k)

2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
Temperrature (ºC)

Fig.3.3 Specific Heat of Steel at different elevated temperature

 Among the construction materials, the thermal conductivity of steel is high. In

general, the thermal conductivity decreases as the temperature increases ranging
from 50 W/m/K to 30 W/m/K. The expression in Eurocode provides details of the
thermal conductivity of steel for the ranging 20°C-1200°C are shown in Table 3.3

70

60
Thermal Conductivity (W/m/k)

50

40

30

20

10

0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900
Temperrature (ºC)

Fig.3.4 Thermal Conductivity of Steel at different elevated temperature

18
 Table 3.3 Thermal Properties of Steel

Sl.No Temperature Density Thermal expansion Specific heat Conductivity

(°C) (kg/m3) (10-3/°C) (KJ/kg/K) (W/m/K)

1 20 0.00 0.440 53.4

2 100 1.00 0.488 50.7

3 200 2.32 0.530 47.4

4 300 3.72 0.564 44.1

5 400 5.20 0.605 40.7

7850

6 500 6.76 0.664 37.4

7 600 8.40 0.760 34.1

8 700 10.12 1.008 30.7

9 800 11 0.796 27.3

10 900 11.8 0.643 27.3

11 1000 13.8 0.650 27.3

12 1100 15.8 0.650 27.3

13 1200 17.8 0.650 27.3

3.3.1.3 Mechanical Properties of Concrete

Highly heterogeneous material with porous structure containing free water.

From about 300°C, the shrinkage of the cement paste and the expansion of the

19
aggregate cause differential strains and internal stresses promoting increased cracking I
concrete micro structure. The wide variation in aggregate thermal expansion behaviour
contributes to the significant variation seen in the strength of different reinforced
concrete beams at elevated temperature. The strength of concrete in tension is relatively
small and at ambient temperature is usually assumed to be approximately 1/10 th of that
of compressive strength.

The mechanical properties of concrete are Young's modulus, Poisson ratio =

0.15, Concrete Damage Plasticity, Compressive stresses, Tension stress. The
mechanical properties of steel are mostly influence the strength and stiffness of
reinforced concrete beam.

 Young's modulus is the stress required to produce unit strain. This is the measure
of stiffness of a material. The stiffness means how much it deflects under a given
load. From existing literature, Young's modulus is taken as 22360 N/mm2.

 Poisson's ratio is the ratio of lateral strain to longitudinal strain in a material

subjected to loading. Poisson's ratio varies between 0.1 for high
strength concrete and 0.2 for weak mixes. It is normally taken as 0.15 for strength
design.

 The nonlinear behaviour of concrete due to crack formation and propagation is

modelled using Concrete Damage Plasticity model available in ABAQUS wherein
the effect of tension softening and tension stiffening is duly considered. The
parameters of the Concrete Damage Plasticity model includes dilation angle
interpreted as internal friction angle that controls the amount of volumetric strain
developed during plastic shearing and it usually varies between 30° and 40°.
Eccentricity parameter is the ratio of tensile strength to compressive strength. Its
value depends on the type of concrete; it varies from 0.06 to 0.08. The shape of the
yield surface is determined by a user defined parameter (K) and is set to unity,
which corresponds to using the traditional Drucer-Prager yield criterion, i.e. conical

20
 shape. The parameter (fbo / fco) defining the ratio of biaxial compressive strength to
uniaxial compressive strength is considered as 1.16. The viscosity parameter is
used for the visco-plastic regularization of the concrete constitutive equations. The
default value of viscosity parameter is 0.0, which means that a strain rate
independent analysis is carried out. The values of concrete damage plasticity of
finite element model is shown in Table

Table 3.4 Concrete Damage Plasticity of Concrete

Concrete Damage Plasticity

Dilation angle 31°

Eccentricity parameter 0.1

User defined parameter (K) 0.667

fbo / fco 1.16

Viscosity parameter 0

 Compressive Behaviour of concrete

The degradation in the compressive strength with temperature for normal strength
concrete is defined using the reduction factors. The concrete is modelled as an
elasto-plastic material with strain softening. Compressive strength of cylinder
(N/mm2) =24.35.

 Tensile Behaviour of concrete

The behaviour of the concrete in tension is characterized into two parts: pre-
cracking stage and post-cracking stage. In the first part, i.e. the pre-cracking stage,
stress varies linearly with strain up to the ultimate tensile strength of concrete at
which it cracks. The second part, i.e. the post-cracking stage, consists of a nonlinear
softening branch wherein, the stress decreases with increased strain until zero stress
level. Tensile strength of cylinder (N/mm 2) =2.2.The compressive and tension
behaviour values of concrete is shown in Table

21
 Table 3.5 Compressive Behaviour of Concrete

Compressive Behaviour of Concrete

Stress ( N/mm2 ) Strain

0 0
12 0
13 2.00E-05
14 3.00E-05
15 6.00E-05
16 7.50E-05
17 0.00011
18 0.000145
19 0.00019
20 0.000245
21 0.00032
22 0.000415
23 0.00055
24 0.0008
24.35 0.0009825
24.35 0.0010825
24 0.0013
23 0.0017
22 0.001975
21 0.00221
20 0.00243

Table 3.6 Tension Behaviour of Concrete

Tension Behaviour of Concrete

Stress( N/mm2 ) Strain

0 0
-2.2 0
-1.466666667 -0.000256667
-0.825 -0.000605
-0.366666667 -0.001136667
0 -0.00176

22
 30

25

20

15

10

0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
-5

Fig 3.5 Compressive and Tension Behaviour of Concrete

3.3.1.4 Thermal Properties of Concrete

The process of heat transfer in concrete is more complicated than in steel.

Concrete is a heterogeneous material with a porous structure containing free water. The
low conductivity and high specific heat capacity of concrete make it ideal for use as a
thermal insulator. Generally, heat transfer in concrete is more complicated than in steel.
Thermal properties are very difficult to measure due to other effects during heating, lie
changes in chemical composition, changes in physical structure and absorption of latent
heat. The variation in thermal properties of concrete such as density ,thermal expansion
thermal conductivity and specific heat for a temperature range from 2°C 0-1200°C have
been well documented in Eurocode 2are shown in Table.

 Density depends on the type of aggregates used for concrete production. Heating the
aggregate does not lead to any drastic change in densities. There is nominal variation
in concrete density when heated above 100°C which is due to movement of free water
through concrete pores.

23
 Table 3.7 Thermal properties of Concrete

Sl.No Temperature Density Thermal expansion Specific heat Conductivity

(°C) (kg/m3) (10-3/°C) (KJ/kg/K) (W/m/K)

1 20 2450 0.09 0.90 1.95

2 100 2450 0.74 0.90 1.77

3 200 2401 1.80 1.00 1.55

4 300 2364 3.14 1.05 1.36

5 400 2328 4.89 1.10 1.19

6 500 2306 7.20 1.10 1.04

7 600 2285 10.19 1.10 0.91

8 700 2263 14.00 1.10 0.81

9 800 2242 14.00 1.10 0.72

10 900 2220 14.00 1.10 0.66

11 1000 2199 14.00 1.10 0.62

12 1100 2177 14.00 1.10 0.60

13 1200 2156 14.00 1.10 0.60

24
 The thermal expansion of concrete is more complex than that of steel due to
differential expansions of the constituent ingredients which in turn dependent on
factors like stress levels, aggregate to cement ratio an the heating rate. This is ranging
from 5.9x10-6/°C to 13.1x10-6/°C. This coefficient of thermal expansion also is
temperature dependent and leads to a thermal elongation of concrete.

Fig 3.6 Thermal Expansion of Concrete at different elevated temperature

 The specific heat capacity of concrete depends on the type of aggregate used and
the mix proportions. The concrete produced with different aggregates provides
different specific heat. Eurocode 2 provided values for specific heat and is applied
to all normal weight concrete for siliceous and calcareous aggregates. The spike in
magnitude of the specific heat is between 100°C -115°C due to the stage change
from liquid to vapour of moisture within the concrete.

25
 Fig 3.7 Specific Heat of Concrete at different elevated temperature

 Thermal conductivity of a concrete is influenced by the type of aggregates and the

proportion it is used in mix. But for all types of aggregate it was found that thermal
conductivity decreases at elevated temperatures. Eurocode 2 provides an upper and
lower limit for thermal conductivity of normal weight concrete.

Fig 3.8 Thermal Conductivity of Concrete at different elevated temperature

3.4 METHODS FOR TESTING STRUCTURAL MEMBERS IN THERMAL

LODING

26
 There are two types of methods these are classified based on how the temperature
and load applied on the member in the experiment with respect to time and temperature
distribution in the member.

3.4.1 Steady State Temperature

Steady state condition is a simple condition to test the members in thermal loading.
In this method first heat the member to the required temperature and then loaded till it
fails i.e. temperature is constant though out the test and load is increase till it fails. This
method is used to find the mechanical and thermal properties at different temperature
condition and to establish the curves for the design of members at different temperature
conditions.
3.4.2 Transient State Temperature
Transient state condition is more realist then stead state condition to test the members
in thermal loading. In this method first apply the load on the member to the required
initial load level and then apply temperature till it fails i.e. load is constant though out
the test and temperature is increase till it fails. This method is used to understand the
behaviour of the members when subjected to thermal loading and to establish the
curves for the design of members at different initial load levels.

Based on the temperature distribution along the length and across the section there
are two type of temperature conditions are there.

3.4.3 Uniform Temperature

In the case of the uniform temperature condition the temperature at any point is same
at a particular time the temperature distribution is shown in the Fig 1.3 (a). Practically
uniform temperature is not occurring in reality but for the analysis and mathematical
formulation purposes uniform temperature is employed.
3.4.4 Uniform Temperature
In the case of the non-uniform temperature condition the temperature at any point is
not same at a particular time the temperature distribution is shown in the Fig 1.3 (b).
Practically non-uniform temperature only occurring in reality but for the analysis and
mathematical formulation purposes non-uniform temperature is difficult.

27
 Fig 3.9 Flow Chart of Thermal Analysis

3.5 STANDARD TEMPERATURE FIRE CURVE (ISO 834 FIRE CURVE)

The Standard temperature fire curve (ISO 834 fire curve), also known as the
cellulosic curve or standard nominal fire curve, is used to test the fire resistance of
materials. This curve is based on the burning rate of the materials found in general
building materials and contents. ISO 834 Curve is a standard fire used as input in
computer analysis. It is the international standard of time-temperature curve, defined by
T=345 log10 (8t+1) +To Where, t is time in minutes and To is the ambient temperature
in degree Celsius.

28
 Fig 3.10 Standard Temperature Fire Curve (ISO 834 fire curve)

CHAPTER 4

MECHANICAL ANALYSIS OF RC BEAM

4.1 GENERAL

29
 This section deals with the step by step clear procedure for modelling the reinforced
concrete beam subjected to mechanical load in ABAQUS. This section derives the load
versus deflection curve for reinforced concrete beam subjected to mechanical load using
ABAQUS software. Concrete was modelled using eight node tri-linear 3D element
denoted as C3D8RT in ABAQUS. Reinforcement was modelled using two node linear
3D truss element denoted as T3D2 in ABAQUS.

4.2 DETAILS OF REINFORCED CONCRETE BEAM

Modelling of Reinforced concrete beam is done using following details. Mechanical

loading is two point loading also called as four point bending. Bearing plates are used at
location of support and load application, to avoid stress concentration.

Fig 4.1 Geometry of the four point bending Reinforced Concrete Beam for
Mechanical Analysis

Table 4.1 Details of reinforced concrete beam

Details Dimensions
Cross section 200 mm width x 300 mm depth

Beam Length 3950 mm

Span centre to centre 3200 mm

30
 Support condition Simply supported
Bottom Reinforcement 12 mm
Top Reinforcement 12 mm
Stirrups 8 mm @ 170 mm c/c
Grade of Steel Reinforcement Fe415 for all steel
Number of Bottom Reinforcement 4
Number of Bent up Reinforcement 2
Number of Top Reinforcement 2
Concrete cover to steel 25 mm
Type of loading Two point loading ( Four point bending)

4.3 MODELING AND ANALYSIS OF RC BEAM USING ABAQUS

Finite element method serves as a tool for an engineer for the analysis of any structure.
For analysing any component in ABAQUS the following steps are involved. The first
step is modelling of the component, various commands are used to model the component.
Modelling is based on the designation of the component and dimensions. Fig 4.2 gives
the clear idea of the modules involved in analysis

Part

Property

Assembly

Step

31
 Load

Mesh

Job

Visualization

Fig 4.2 The Various Modules present in ABAQUS for Modelling a Structure

4.3.1 Part Model

Parts define the geometry of the individual components of the model and,
therefore, are the building blocks of an ABAQUS/CAE model. We can create parts that
are native to ABAQUS/CAE, or we can import parts created by other applications either
as a geometric representation or a finite element mesh. Concrete modelled as 3D solid
element, reinforcement modelled as 3D truss element, bearing plates modelled as 3D
solid element.

4.3.2 Property of Materials

We have to define the properties of a part through sections. In this section, we

assign mechanical properties of concrete and steel. Once completion of creating a section
we can use one of the following two methods to assign the section to the part in the
current view port

 By simply selecting the region from the part and assign the section to the selected
region.

32
 By using the Set toolset create a homogeneous set containing the region and assigns
the section to the set.

Fig 4.3 Assembly of Concrete and Reinforcement

4.3.3 Assembly of Parts

Each part that we created is oriented in its own coordinate system and is
independent of the other parts in the model. Although a model may contain many parts, it
contains only one assembly. We have to define the geometry of the assembly by creating
instances of a part and then positioning the instances relatives to each other in a global
coordinate system.

An instance may be independent or dependent. Independent part instances are

meshed individually, while the mesh of a dependent part instance is associated with the
mesh of the original part .By default, part instances are dependent.

33
 Fig 4.4 Arrangement of Reinforcement in RC beam

4.3.4 Interaction

The reinforced concrete beam is an assembly of concrete and steel. The steel
should be constraint in concrete to create a bond between concrete and steel. This
constraint definition considers rebar as a slave element and concrete as a master element.
In mechanical analysis, to create a bond between concrete and steel, steel should be the
constraint in concrete. Embedded constraint was used to provide a direct contact between
steel and concrete. Steel should be embedded region and concrete is the host region. It
ensures that no debonding occurs between steel and concrete. Rigid body constraint is
applied between bearing plate and beam. Kinematic coupling is applied between
reference point and bearing plate.

4.3.5 Analysis Step

There are two kinds of analysis steps in ABAQUS: general analysis steps, which
can be used to analyse linear or nonlinear response, and linear perturbation steps which
can be used only to analyse linear problems. Only general analysis steps are available in
ABAQUS/Explicit. In this section, static general step is used for mechanical load (Two
point loading).

34
4.3.6 Loading Conditions

In ABAQUS the term load generally refers to anything that induces a change in
the response of a structure from its initial state, including:

 Concentrated forces,
 Pressures
 Nonzero boundary conditions,
 Body loads, and Temperature

In this section, mechanical load is concentrated force, which is applied through the
reference point.

Fig 4.5 Loading and Boundary Conditions of RC beam

4.3.7 Boundary Conditions

Prescribed conditions, such as loads and boundary conditions, are step dependent,
which means we must specify the step or steps in which they become active. Once we
have defined the steps in the analysis, we can define prescribed conditions. To apply a
prescribed condition to a region, we can either select the region directly in the viewport

35
or apply the condition to an existing set. Sets are a convenient tool that can be used to
manage large complicated models. Boundary condition for mechanical analysis, one end
of beam is hinged and other end of beam is roller. i.e. supply supported boundary
condition.

4.3.8 Mesh

Basic meshing is a two stage operation:

1. Seeding the edges of the part instance, and then

2. Meshing the part instance.

We have to select the number of seeds based on the desired element size or on the
number of elements that we want along an edge, and ABAQUS/CAE places the nodes of
the mesh at the seeds whenever possible.

4.3.8.1 Mesh convergence study

The beam was meshed with different mesh densities and the load at failure of
experimental and analytical was compared with variation in results for various mesh
sizes. The mesh size of 50 mm was adopted throughout the modelling as results after
mesh finer than 50 mm mesh cannot effect the results.

36
 Fig 4.6 Meshing of Reinforced Concrete Beam for mechanical analysis

4.3.9 Job

After submitting the job, information appears next to the job name indicating the job
status. The status of the problem indicates one of the following conditions:

 Submitted while the job is being submitted for analysis.

 Running while ABAQUS analyses the model.
 Completed when the analysis is complete, and the output has been written to the
output database.
 Aborted if ABAQUS/CAE finds a problem with the input file or the analysis and
aborts the analysis. In addition, ABAQUS/CAE reports the problem in the message
area. During the analysis, ABAQUS/Standard sends information to ABAQUS/CAE
to allow us to monitor the progress of the job. Information from the status, data, log,
and message files appears in the job monitor dialog box.

37
4.3.10 Visualization

When the job completes successfully, we can view the results of the analysis with
the Visualization module. ABAQUS/CAE opens the output database created by the job
and displays a fast plot of the model. A fast plot is a basic representation of the un-
deformed model shape and is an indication that we have opened the desired file.

We can display the deformed model shape and use the plot option to change
deformed model shape. For small displacement analysis the displacement are scaled
automatically to ensure that they are clearly visible. The scale factor is displayed in the
state block.

4.4 SUMMARY

This chapter explained the steps involved in developing a Finite Element Model for
a Reinforced concrete Beam subjected to mechanical loading. This chapter includes
various modules such as creation of part, assigning properties, Assembly of RC beam,
Interaction between concrete and rebar, analysis step, boundary conditions, Meshing of
elements, job, visualization of deflected shape of RC beam.

38
 CHAPTER 5

THERMO-MECHANICAL ANALYSIS OF RC BEAM

5.1 GENERAL

The coupled temperature displacements method was used for the present study.
During thermal analysis, Concrete was modelled using eight node linear Couple
temperature displacement brick elements denoted as DC3D8 in ABAQUS.
Reinforcement was modelled using two node linear Couple temperature displacement
link element denoted as DC1D2 in ABAQUS. In the reinforced concrete beam, concrete
has been modelled for the required dimensions using 3D solid element on the basis of
existing literature. The usage of 3D beam and 3D shell element was not possible due to
constraints and limitations to capture real behaviour. In the 3D beam element, it was
unable to perform couple temperature displacement analysis. In 3D shell element, the
reinforcement was introduced by using rebar command. Transfer of the temperature
degrees of freedom to this rebar layer did not occur in this case.

5.2 DETAILS OF RC BEAM FOR THERMO- MECHANICAL ANALYSIS

Modelling of Reinforced concrete beam is done using following details. Thermal

loading (ISO 834 Curve) followed by Mechanical loading ( two point loading also called
as four point bending) is applied on reinforced concrete beam.

39
 Fig 5.1 Geometry of the four point bending RC Beam for Thermo-Mechanical
Analysis

Table 5.1 Details of RC beam for Thermo- Mechanical analysis

DETAILS DIMENSISONS
Cross section 200 mm width x 300 mm depth

Beam Length 3950 mm

Span centre to centre 3200 mm
Support condition Simply supported
Bottom Reinforcement 12 mm
Top Reinforcement 12 mm
Stirrups 8 mm @ 170 mm c/c
Grade of Steel Reinforcement Fe415 for all steel
Number of Bottom Reinforcement 4
Number of Bent up Reinforcement 2
Number of Top Reinforcement 2
Concrete cover to steel 25 mm
Type of loading Two point loading ( Four point bending)
Temperature ISO 834 Curve

5.3 MODELING AND ANALYSIS USING ABAQUS

40
 Finite element method serves as a tool for an engineer for the analysis of any
structure. For analysing any component in ABAQUS the following steps are involved.
The first step is modelling of the component, various commands are used to model the
component. Modelling is based on the designation of the component and dimensions. Fig
5.2 gives the clear idea of the modules involved in analysis.

Part

Property

Assembly

Step

Load

Mesh

Job

Visualization

41
 Fig 5.2 The Various Modules present in ABAQUS for Modelling a Structure for
Thermo-Mechanical Analysis

5.3.1 Part Model

Parts define the geometry of the individual components of the model and,
therefore, are the building blocks of an ABAQUS/CAE model. We can create parts that
are native to ABAQUS/CAE, or we can import parts created by other applications either
as a geometric representation or a finite element mesh. Concrete modelled as 3D solid
element, reinforcement modelled as 3D solid element.

5.3.2 Property of Materials

We have to define the properties of a part through sections. In this section, we

assign mechanical properties and thermal properties of concrete such as density,
compressive stress, and tensile stress, young’s modulus, thermal expansion, specific heat,
conductivity. And also we assign mechanical properties and thermal properties of steel
such as density, yield stress, ultimate stress, young’s modulus, thermal expansion,
specific heat, conductivity. Once completion of creating a section we can use one of the
following two methods to assign the section to the part in the current view port

 By simply selecting the region from the part and assign the section to the selected
region.
 By using the Set toolset create a homogeneous set containing the region and assigns
the section to the set.

5.3.3 Assembly of Parts

Each part that we created is oriented in its own coordinate system and is
independent of the other parts in the model. Although a model may contain many parts, it
contains only one assembly. We have to define the geometry of the assembly by creating
instances of a part and then positioning the instances relatives to each other in a global
coordinate system.

42
 An instance may be independent or dependent. Independent part instances are
meshed individually, while the mesh of a dependent part instance is associated with the
mesh of the original part .By default, part instances are dependent.

Fig 5.3 Arrangement of Reinforcement in RC beam

5.3.4 Interaction

The reinforced concrete beam is an assembly of concrete and steel. The steel
should be constraint in concrete to create a bond between concrete and steel. This
constraint definition considers rebar as a slave element and concrete as a master element.
In mechanical analysis, to create a bond between concrete and steel, steel should be the
constraint in concrete. Embedded constraint was used to provide a direct contact between
steel and concrete. Steel should be embedded region and concrete is the host region. It
ensures that no debonding occurs between steel and concrete.

5.3.5 Analysis Step

There are two kinds of analysis steps in ABAQUS: general analysis steps, which
can be used to analyse linear or nonlinear response, and linear perturbation steps which
can be used only to analyse linear problems. Only general analysis steps are available in
ABAQUS/Explicit. Steps involved in the analysis:

Initial: Predefined room temperature

43
 Step-1: Couple temperature displacement

Step-2: Static General Step

5.3.6 Loading Conditions

In ABAQUS the term load generally refers to anything that induces a change in
the response of a structure from its initial state, including:

 Concentrated forces,
 Pressures
 Nonzero boundary conditions,
 Body loads, and
 Temperature

In this section, Application of Thermal load is expressed in term amplitude (ISO 834
curve) and Mechanical load is pressure load applied over small area.

5.3.7 Boundary Conditions

Prescribed conditions, such as loads and boundary conditions, are step dependent,
which means we must specify the step or steps in which they become active. Once we
have defined the steps in the analysis, we can define prescribed conditions. To apply a
prescribed condition to a region, we can either select the region directly in the viewport
or apply the condition to an existing set. Sets are a convenient tool that can be used to
manage large complicated models. Boundary condition for thermo- mechanical analysis,
one end of beam is hinged and other end of beam is roller. i.e. supply supported boundary
condition.

44
 Fig 5.4 Loading and Boundary conditions of Reinforced Concrete Beam

5.3.8 Mesh

The accuracy that can be obtained from any FEA model is directly related to the
finite element mesh used to subdivide the model into smaller domains called elements,
over which a set of equations are solved. Basic meshing is a two-stage operation:

1. Seeding the edges of the part instance

2. Meshing the part instance

3. Selection of element type

Select the number of seeds based on the desired element size or on the number of
elements along an edge and ABAQUS/ CAE places the nodes of the mesh at the seeds
whenever possible.

5.3.8.1 Mesh convergence study

The beam was meshed with different mesh densities and the load at failure of
experimental and analytical was compared with variation in results for various mesh
sizes. The mesh size of 20 mm was adopted throughout the modelling as results after
mesh finer than 20 mm mesh cannot effect the results.

45
 Fig 5.5 Meshing of Reinforced Concrete Beam for Thermo-Mechanical Analysis

5.3.9 Job

After submitting the job, information appears next to the job name indicating the job
status. The status of the problem indicates one of the following conditions:

1. Submitted while the job is being submitted for analysis.

2. Running while ABAQUS analyses the model.
3. Completed when the analysis is complete, and the output has been written to the
output database.
4. Aborted if ABAQUS/CAE finds a problem with the input file or the analysis and
aborts the analysis. In addition, ABAQUS/CAE reports the problem in the message
area.

During the analysis, ABAQUS/Standard sends information to ABAQUS/CAE to allow

us to monitor the progress of the job. Information from the status, data, log, and
message files appears in the job monitor dialog box.

5.3.10 Visualization

When the job completes successfully, we can view the results of the analysis with
the Visualization module. ABAQUS/CAE opens the output database created by the job

46
and displays a fast plot of the model. A fast plot is a basic representation of the un-
deformed model shape and is an indication that we have opened the desired file. We can
display the deformed model shape and use the plot option to change deformed model
shape. For small displacement analysis the displacement are scaled automatically to
ensure that they are clearly visible. The scale factor is displayed in the state block.

5.4 SUMMARY

This chapter explained the steps involved in developing a Finite Element Model for a
Reinforced concrete Beam subjected to thermo-mechanical loading. This chapter includes
various modules such as creation of part, assigning properties, Assembly of RC beam,
Interaction between concrete and rebar, analysis step, boundary conditions, Meshing of
elements, job, visualization of deflected shape of RC beam.

CHAPTER 6

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

6.1 GENERAL

In finite element analysis, the solution of the mathematical model of a physical

structure is numerically obtained using finite element procedures. The choice of a
mathematical model with known material properties subjected to certain loading and
boundary conditions is an important part of the analysis. The mathematical model should
be reliable and effective in predicting the solution. An effective mathematical model is
one that yields the required solution with satisfactory accuracy and with least cost in
terms of computer runtime. A mathematical model is reliable, if the required solution is
known to be predicted within a selected level of accuracy measured on the response of
the very comprehensive mathematical model. Finite element model are used in the
investigation of a wide range of parameters. The accuracy of modelling depends upon the
mathematical model, material properties and appropriate mesh size.

This chapter deals with the Validation of Mechanical and Thermo-Mechanical

analysis of reinforced concrete beam on the basis of existing literatures. This section also
deals with creation of Total load versus Deflection for developed model (mechanical and

47
thermo-mechanical analysis) using ABAQUS simulation software and Comparison of
Total load versus deflection curves for developed model (ABAQUS) with experimental
data from existing literature.

6.2 VALIDATON OF MECHANICAL ANALYSIS

In this section, finite element analysis of reinforced concrete beam subjected to

mechanical loading is carried out to determine the ultimate load carrying capacity of the
beam. Total load versus deflection curve is obtained by taking double of reaction at
support and deflection at middle point of reinforced concrete beam. The ultimate load
carrying capacity of reinforced concrete beam is obtained from the total load versus
deflection curve, which is a point where trend of curve changes.

Fig 6.1 Deflected Shape of Reinforced Concrete Beam for Mechanical analysis

48
 200

150
TOTAL LOAD (KN)

100

50

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60

DEFLECTION (x10-2mm)

Fig 6.2 Total load Versus Deflection curve of Reinforced Concrete Beam for
Mechanical analysis

6.3 VALIDATON OF THERMO-MECHANICAL ANALYSIS

In this section, FE analysis of reinforced concrete beam subjected to thermo-

mechanical loading is carried out to determine the ultimate load carrying capacity of the
beam. Total load versus deflection curve is obtained by taking double of reaction at
support and deflection at middle point of reinforced concrete beam. The Failure load of

49
reinforced concrete beam is obtained from the total load versus deflection curve.

Fig 6.3 Deflected Shape of RC Beam for Thermo-Mechanical analysis (1 hour

duration of heating)

Fig 6.4 Deflected Shape of RC Beam for Thermo-Mechanical analysis (2 hour

duration of heating)

50
 160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
-20 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160

Fig 6.5 Total load Versus Deflection curve of Reinforced Concrete Beam for
Thermo-Mechanical analysis (1 hour duration of heating)

140

120

100

80

60

40

20

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

Fig 6.6 Total load Versus Deflection curve of Reinforced Concrete Beam for
Thermo-Mechanical analysis (2 hour duration of heating)

51
6.4 COMPARISON OF EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS AND NUMERICAL
RESULTS

Table 6.1 Comparison of FEA Results with Experimental Data

Ultimate load (KN)

Duration of heating (h) Numerical Experiment %Error

0 163.00 168.00 2.976

1 144.12 140.00 -2.942

2 119.94 121 0.876

 The ultimate load carrying capacity of reinforced concrete beam for mechanical
analysis (zero hour exposure) is obtained from the total load versus deflection curve.
The maximum variation in the ultimate load carrying capacity of reinforced concrete
beam was only 2.976%.
 The Failure load of reinforced concrete beam for Thermo-mechanical analysis (one hr
exposure) is obtained from the total load versus deflection curve. The maximum
variation in the ultimate load carrying capacity of reinforced concrete beam was only
-2.942%.
 The Failure load of reinforced concrete beam for Thermo-mechanical analysis (two hr
exposure) is obtained from the total load versus deflection curve. The maximum
variation in the ultimate load carrying capacity of reinforced concrete beam was only
0.876%.

6.5 SUMMARY

The numerical simulation of the experimental study and the validation regarding
load versus deflection were discussed in this chapter. The results obtained from
ABAQUS compared with the experimental results from existing literature.

52
 CHAPTER 7

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

7.1 GENERAL

This chapter deals with the summary and important conclusions of the present
work. The future scope of work in this area is also mentioned.

7.2 SUMMARY

In this thesis, the finite element analysis of reinforced concrete beam subjected to
mechanical and thermo-mechanical load have been discussed. The work focused on the
estimation of ultimate load carrying capacity of reinforced concrete beam, is derived
from total load (double of reaction at support) versus deflection curve (midpoint
deflection). This study will help to assess fire resistance of reinforced concrete beam
exposed to thermal loading.

7.3 CONCLUSION

Based on the results obtained from finite element analysis of reinforced concrete beam
exposed to fire loading, the following conclusions are drawn:

 The maximum variation in the ultimate load carrying capacity of reinforced

concrete beam for Mechanical analysis is less, compared to experimental results.
Therefore, the developed finite element model of reinforced concrete beam for
Mechanical analysis will be used for further parametric study.
 The maximum variation in the ultimate load carrying capacity of reinforced
concrete beam for Thermo-Mechanical analysis is less, compared to experimental
results. Therefore, the developed finite element model of reinforced concrete
beam for mechanical analysis will be used for further parametric study.
 The ultimate load carrying capacity of reinforced concrete beam is reduced with
increasing duration of heating.
 The mid-point deflection of reinforced concrete beam reduces with increasing
duration of heating.

53
  Area under total load versus deflection is reduced with increasing duration of
heating.
7.4 SCOPE FOR FUTURE WORKS
This present study can be extended for my parametric study as follows

 Estimation of fire resistance of reinforced concrete beam by varying cover

thickness to rebar.
 Estimation of fire resistance of reinforced concrete beam for various boundary
conditions.
 Prediction of fire resistance of reinforced concrete beam for various loading
conditions.
 Prediction of fire resistance of reinforced concrete beam by changing the member
thickness, percentage longitudinal rebars and spacing of stirrups.

54
REFERENCES

1. ABAQUS 6.11: ABAQUS analysis user’s manual. Providence, Dassault Systemes

Simulia Corp, 2011.

2. EN 1992-1-2: 2004, Eurocode 2 Design of concrete structures-Part 1-2: General

rules-Structural fire design, European committee for standardization, Brussels.

3. EN 1993-1-2: 2005, Eurocode 3 Design of steel structures-part 1-2: General rules-

Structural fire design, European committee for standardization, Brussels.

4. Kumar A, Kumar V (2003). Behaviour of RCC beams after exposure to elevated

temperatures. Journal of institute of engineers, 84, 165–170.

5. Josko Oz bolt a, Josipa Bosnjaka, Goran Periskica, Akanshu Sharma (2014) 3D

numerical analysis of reinforced concrete beams exposed to elevated temperature.
Engineering Structures, 58, 166–174.

6. Haridharan, M. K. and C. Natarajan (2015) Numerical Simulation of Damage in

Reinforced Concrete Beam subjected to elevated temperature. International journal of
Earth Sciences and Engineering, 08, 129-135.

7. W.Y.Gao, Jian-Guo Dai, J.G Teng, G.M.Chen (2013) Finite element modelling of
reinforced concrete beams exposed to fire, Engineering Structures, 52,488-501.

8. V.K.R. Kodur, Ankit Agrawal (2017) Effect of temperature induced bond

degradation on fire response of reinforced concrete beams, Engineering Structures,
142, 98-109.

9. R.A. Hawileh, M. Naser, W. Zaidan, H.A Rasheed (2009) Modelling of insulated

CFRP- strengthened reinforced concrete T-beam exposed to fire, Engineering
Structures, 31, 3072-3079.

10. Solhmirzaei R, Kodur V.K.R (2017) Modelling the response of ultra high
performance fiber reinforced concrete beam, Procedia Engineering, 210, 211-219.

11. M. B. Dwaikat, V.K.R. Kodur (2009) Response of Restrained Concrete Beams

under Design Fire Exposure, Journal of structural engineering, 135, 1408-1417.

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12. E.G. Choi, Y.S. Shin (2011) The structural behaviour and simplified thermal analysis
of normal strength and high strength beams under fire, Engineering Structures, 33,
1123-1132.

13. Xiaoshan Lin, Y.X Zhang (2013) Nonlinear finite element analyses of steel/FRP-
reinforced concrete beams in fire conditions, Composite Structures, 97, 277-285.

14. Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) (2012) link

http://www.ficci.com/Sedocument/20186/IndianRiskSurvey2012.pdf.

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Delhi.

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57