Tikrit Journal of Engineering Sciences (2020) 27 (1): 1-5

ISSN: 1813-162X (Print) ; 2312-7589 (Online)

Tikrit Journal of Engineering Sciences

available online at: http://www.tj-es.com

Naji HF, Khalid NN, Medhlom MK. A Review on Numerical Analysis of RC Flat Slabs Exposed to Fire. Tikrit
Journal of Engineering Sciences 2020; 27(1): 1-5.

A Review on Numerical
ngineering Sciences Tikrit Journal of Engineering Sciences Tikrit Journal of Engineerices Tikrit Journal of Engineering Sciences
Tikrit Journal of Engineering Sciences Tikrit Journal of Engineering Sciences Tikrit Journal of Engineering Sciences Tikrit
Journal of Engineering Sciences Tikrit Journal of Engineeringciences ngineering Sciences Tikrit Journal of E it Journal

Hanadi F. Naji
Nibras N. Khalid Analysis of RC Flat Slabs
Mutaz K. Medhlom

Civil Engineering Dept., College of

Exposed to Fire
Engineering, Mustansiriyah A B S T R A C T
University, Baghdad. This paper aims at presenting and discussing the numerical studies performed to
estimate the mechanical and thermal behavior of RC flat slabs at elevated temperature
and fire. The numerical analysis is carried out using finite element programs by
Keywords:
developing models to simulate the performance of the buildings subjected to fire. The
Finite element model mechanical and thermal properties of the materials obtained from the experimental work
Fire resistance are involved in the modeling that the outcomes will be more realistic. Many parameters
Flat slab related to fire resistance of the flat slabs have been studied and the finite element
analysis results reveal that the width and thickness of the slab, the temperature gradient,
ARTICLE INFO
the fire direction, the exposure duration and the thermal restraint are important factors
Article history: that influence the vertical deflection, bending moment and force membrane of the flat
slabs exposed to fire. However, the validation of the models is verified by comparing
Received 22 Sep. 2019 their results to the available experimental date. The finite element modeling contributes
Accepted 07 Jan. 2020 in saving cost and time consumed by experiments.
Available online 09 Feb. 2020 @2019 TJES, College of Engineering, Tikrit University

DOI: https://doi.org/10.25130/tjes.27.1.01

‫مراجعة عن التحليل العددي للسقوف الخرسانية المسطحة والمعرضة للحريق‬

‫ العراق‬, ‫ بغداد‬, ‫ الجامعة المستنصرية‬, ‫ كلية الهندسة‬,‫ قسم الهندسة المدنية‬/ ‫هنادي فاضل ناجي‬
‫ العراق‬, ‫ بغداد‬, ‫ الجامعة المستنصرية‬, ‫ كلية الهندسة‬,‫ قسم الهندسة المدنية‬/ ‫نبراس نزار عبد الحميد خالد‬
‫ العراق‬, ‫ بغداد‬, ‫ الجامعة المستنصرية‬, ‫ كلية الهندسة‬,‫ قسم الهندسة المدنية‬/ ‫ومعتز كاظم مظلوم‬
‫الخالصة‬
‫يهدف هذا المقال الى عرض وشرح الدراسات الخاصة بالتحليل العددي التي تم تنفيذها لتخمين التصرف االنشائي والحراري للسقوف‬
‫ التحليل الخطي يتم باستخدام برمجيات العناصر المحددة لمحاكاة‬.‫الخرسانية المسلحة المسطحة والمعرضة لدرجات حرارة عالية وللحريق‬
‫ خصائص المواد الحرارية والميكانيكية للمواد يتم ادخالها للبرنامج باالعتماد على نتائج التجارب العملية‬.‫تصرف االبنية المعرضة للحريق‬
‫ ومن خالل النتائج المستحصلة من التحليل‬,‫ تم دراسة تأثير عوامل متعددة متعلقة بمقاومة السقوف للحرائق‬.‫لتكون النتائج اكثر واقعية‬
‫ اتجاه حمل الحريق والتقييد الحراري للمنشات والتي‬,‫ مدة التعرض للحريق‬,‫ سمك السقف‬,‫العددي تب ين أن هذه العوامل هي عرض السقف‬
‫ عند مقارنة النتائج المستحصلة من تحليل العناصر المحددة مع تلك المستحصلة من التجارب‬.‫ عزم االنحناء‬,‫تؤثر على االنحراف العمودي‬
‫ تم التوصل الى تقارب كبير بين وسيلتي البحث مما يمكن الباحثين استخدام التحيليل العددي في شمول حاالت متعددة وبتأثير عوامل‬, ‫العملية‬
.‫مختلفة لتقدير التصرف االنشائي للسقوف المسطحة مما يوفر الكثير من الجهد والكلفة‬
.‫ سقف مسطح‬،‫ مقاومة الحريق‬،‫ النمذجة باستخدام العناصر المحددة‬:‫الكلمات الدالة‬

* Corresponding Author: E-mail: hanadiifa@yahoo.com

economical and effective features. However there are
1. Introduction many concerns related to the strength and
serviceability of this kind of members, especially if
Reinforced concrete flat slabs are common exposed to sever conditions. One of the most serious
structural systems widely used in buildings for their dangers that affects the performance of the structures is

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exposure to fire due to its increased risk resulting from slab experiences larger vertical deflection at mid span
global warming consequences and terror attacks. and nonlinearity in the bending moment distribution
Though concrete is considered a very good fire along the cross section in addition to a larger value of
resistance material, the small thickness of flat slabs tensile force membrane lag.
requires ensuring the safety of this floor system under It was obtained that the most important factor in
fire condition. The requirements for the fire resistance the design of a slab restrained in the X-direction at the
of RC slabs are specified in most building codes. In supports is the top reinforcing bars in the slab. Also, it
addition, many experiments have been carried out to was found that a plastic hinges are formed in the slabs
evaluate the residual strength and the serviceability of exposed to fire with a decay face because of the
RC flat slabs exposed to fire taking into account dramatic increase in the bending moment.
different influencing factors. In order to include a vast Abdul-Razzak. A. [4] has adopted
number of cases related to the RC flat slabs under fire Mindlin/Reissner thick plate theory to perform a
conditions besides economical purposes, the geometric nonlinear analysis to investigate the
researchers have taken the advantage of the available behavior of flat plates under fire loading. The FE
finite element software packages to perform a model was built as eight nodes thick shell element, the
nonlinear analysis for that type of structure. This article slab was divided into layers including concrete and
aims at reviewing the most important numerical studies reinforcing steel. The mechanical and thermal
and the obtained results for the flat slabs exposed to properties were assembled to the element. The
elevated temperature and fire. temperature varied along the cross section, but it was
constant within the same layer. As the temperature
2. Numerical analysis review increased with time, the stiffness and internal forces
were computed while applying load. An iteration was
Linus Lima, Andrew Buchanan, Peter Mossb and made until the equilibrium is achieved between the
Jean-Marc Franssenc, [1] performed a numerical finite external load and the internal forces, at that time, the
element model by using program SAFIR on two-way deformation of the element is determined due to fire
RC slabs. A four node quadrilateral element shell exposure.
element was used in the model. To verify the model, The model was verified by its application on the
the experimental results of two way and composite slab specimens tested by Brost and Peeters [5] and on
steel-concrete slabs under exposure to the ISO standard full scale slabs tests carried out by Nizamuddin and
fire carried out by Lim L, Wade C. [2] were used in the Bresler [6], on comparison the tests results with that
nonlinear analysis. The slabs were simply supported on obtained from the nonlinear analysis, a good agreement
all four edges over the furnace. The slabs were was showed especially at failure stage. Therefore,
subjected to constant live load and exposed to ISO fire using geometric nonlinear analysis can estimate the
for 3 hours. The numerical results showed a good maximum load carrying capacity of slab at elevated
agreement with the experimental results which verify temperatures.
using SAFIR shell element to estimate the behavior of A.Y. Al-Saati, Z. Kh. Awad and Kh. I. Mohmmad
two-way reinforced concrete slabs in fire conditions. It [7] studied the non-linear behavior of RC slabs
was concluded that the tensile membrane forces subjected to high temperature at service loads. The
developed in the slabs effectively enhance the model was represented as layered shell element to
resistance against fire. Also, if the two way slabs have predict the thermal and mechanical properties of the
a double curvature deformation, this will greatly structural element at elevated temperature condition.
increase the fire resistance. The developed F.E model assumes a linear distribution
G. Wang [3] carried out a nonlinear FE analysis of temperature along the slab thickness. As the
using SAFIR software to study the behavior of fire temperature increases, the developed membrane
resistance of one way RC slabs. The thermal model tension contributes to carry the applied load. It was
used in the analysis is 3D shell four-node quadrilateral found that the section is fully cracked after one hour
solid element. From the thermal analysis, it was found exposure to high temperature. The obtained results
that the fire effect can reach the top surface of the slab from this FE analysis were compared to the available
of a 20 cm thickness after 4hrs exposure. The slabs experimental results by Lim and Wade [2] and
were simplified modeled in SAFIR because the Nechnech, Meftah and Reynouard [8] and a good
affected region around the fire boundaries is small, agreement was shown.
equals the thickness of the slab. By using simplified Huang, Z.H. [9], carried out a numerical analysis
thermal models, a comparison was made regarding the to estimate the mechanical and thermal behavior of a
distribution of the temperature in the slab considering uniformly loaded RC slab subjected to fire, taking into
the presence of the steel reinforcement. It was found account the concrete cover spalling as a result of fire
that the effect of reinforcement at the bottom slab can exposure. The study includes several cases regarding
be neglected and not included in the model because the the position of localized fire and degree of cover
results showed that the time temperature relationship spalling. The analysis results revealed that the concrete
curves are identical for the two cases. cover spalling significantly affect the thermal behavior
It was concluded from the analysis that along the of slabs. For the effect of the cover spalling on the
cross section of the slab the bending moment is structural behavior of slabs, it was found that it is
nonlinear distributed near the supports and linearly associated with the thermal restraint provided to the
distributed at the midspan. Using different values of slabs. The fire resistance of the slabs in the corner bay
slab width affects the behavior of the slab. The wider
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of the building decreases with the increase of the cover positive into negative. At 30 min., all the regions of
spalling degree the cover spalling because of the heated panel resist only negative moment. However,
insufficient thermal restraint in that region, while there the change in bending moment between 30 and 90 min
is no significant effect of the cover spalling on the fire of heating is small. The slab rotation increases with the
capacity of the internal bays of the building due to high increase of the heating exposure time, the large value
thermal restraint. of slab rotation affects the shear strength of the slab
Patrick Bamonte and Roberto Felicetti [10] column connection since it causes to increase the
studied the fire behavior of a typical underground inclined cracks. From the FE analysis, it was found that
garage roof consisting of a flat concrete slab supported the punching shear strength of the heated slab at 90
by slender columns. To investigate the structural min. is much less than the design punching strength
behavior, the RC flat slab was modeled by using caused by the large cracks associated with the slab
ABAQUS software program. In this study, the car fires rotation and hence more attention should be paid to the
were considered as localized fires applied to the slab. actual capacity of flat plates exposed to fire.
The columns were modeled as point supports which C Sangluaia , M K Haridharan, C Natarajan, A.
means neglecting the bending stiffness and thermal Rajaraman [15] studied the behavior of RC slab
expansion of the columns. Depending on the model exposed to fire. A nonlinear analysis was performed
analysis results, it was found that the axial loads using FE package ABAQUS in the modeling. The
applied to the columns increase by two to four times main factors considered in the model are slab
their values at the ambient temperature when exposed thickness, reinforcement percentage, slab width and
to localized fire which leads to increase the risk of different boundary conditions under fire loading.
punching shear of the slabs. Depending on the analysis results, it was found that the
Sara J. George and Ying Tian [11] performed a displacement decreases with the increase of the slab
nonlinear analysis to simulate the performance of flat thickness and with the decrease of the slab width. For
plate buildings exposed to fire. ABAQUS finite the reinforcement percentage, the deflection is reduced
element software was used in the analysis. The when using larger amount of reinforcement. Finally,
mechanical and thermal properties of materials the fire resistance is the largest when the boundary
obtained from experimental work done by Elstner and condition is fixed-fixed, then it is less if the support are
Hognestad [12] for the tensile strength of concrete and pinned-pinned, followed by fixed-roller boundary
Lim and Wade (2002) for the concrete thermal condition and the smallest fire resistance was observed
properties, thermal conductivity and heat transfer, when the boundary condition is pinned-roller.
specified in ASCE (1992) [13] Manual No. 78 and EC2 Mengzhu Diao,Lanping Qian, Yi Li, Xinzheng
(1992) [14], were used in the analysis. Lu and Hong Guan [16], have investigated the
On comparison with the test results obtained by progressive collapse of a multi story building exposed
Lim and Wade [2] related to the slab vertical deflection to fire numerically, a fiber beam model and layered
with time up to (180 min.), it was found that the ASCE shell model were used to simulate the behavior of
(1992) [13] concrete thermal properties definitions are beams and columns and two way RC slabs,
more accurate to represent the deflection response of respectively. The boundary conditions are simply
slabs. The analysis predicts the residual strength of the supported at all four edges and the fire loading is
flat plate under elevated temperature by examining the subjected at the bottom of the slab. The analysis results
slab vertical deflection, in-plane slab expansion, showed that the exposure to fire causes an increase in
membrane force, bending moment redistribution, and the axial load applied to columns which leads to the
slab rotational deformation near the supporting damage of the most affected columns, however, the
columns. It also studies the effect of elevated building remains stable and does not collapse because
temperature on punching shear failure at the slab- of the redistribution of the internal forces. As the
column connections of a flat plate. duration of fire exposure increases, the structure cannot
For the finite element analysis, the RC slabs were resist any more loads because of the large deformations
simulated using thin shell elements, the mesh size of the structural members. Eventually the structure will
equals the slab thickness, the boundary conditions of fall as a result of progressive collapse.
the element are restrained in three dimensions along Gouda Ghanem, Tarek Ali, Mohamed Nooman,
two edges of the slab and unrestrained along the other and Mohamed Kadry [17] carried out an experimental
two edges as a quarter of the slab was modeled to and numerical nonlinear FE analysis to study the
reduce the computations cost. behavior of RC flat slab exposed to fire. The analysis
Depending on the heat transfer analysis, it was was performed by using ANSYS to simulate the
found that the flexural capacity of the slab in the mid experimental specimens which were divided into two
span is reduced significantly after exposure to fire for groups, in the first group (A), the concrete cover is
1.5 hr. as the bottom reinforcement experiences fixed and equal to 25mm while the fire duration varies
decrease in its yield strength by 22%. For vertical from one to three hours. In the second group (B), three
deflection, it was obtained that the deflection at the values of concrete cover were selected as (30, 35 and
center of the heated panel is three times the value at the 40mm), while the fire duration is constant at four
panel edge and reaches a maximum value after hours. The structural behavior of the members depends
exposure to fire by 1.5 hr. on the concrete cover thickness and fire duration. The
Bending moment redistributions at mid span numerical results are consistent with the tests results.
occur after four minutes of heating that changes the The main conclusions obtained from the present work
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are: as the concrete cover decreases, the slab fire conditions and the concrete cover thickness. The
resistance decreases for the same value of fire duration. vertical deflection decreases with the increase of the
Also, with the increase of the fire exposure time, the slab thickness and decrease of slab width. It was also
slab fire resistance decreases at a constant value of found that the developed membrane tension contributes
concrete cover thickness. to carry the applied load. The fire exposure time causes
Hamed Sadaghian and Masood Farzam [18] to increase the slab rotation which affects the shear
predicted the punching shear strength of reinforced strength of the slab column connection since it causes
concrete slabs subjected to fire. The study includes the to increase the inclined cracks. The Fixed-Fixed
effect of different parameters which are the fire boundary condition is considered the best to increase
direction, flexural reinforcement ratio, shear the fire resistance. It was found that there are very
reinforcement, load levels, and compressive strength of limited experimental and numerical studies on the
concrete. The analysis results revealed that when fire is cover spalling impact which is needed to be
subjected from the top it causes the slab to deflect investigated since it significantly influences the slab
upward, with the decrease of the applied load value, fire resistance depending on the localized fire position.
the deflection changes to be in the direction of the Also, the thermal restraint of the building can reduce
gravity load. When the fire is subjected from the the risk of the fire exposure.
bottom surface, it will increase the vertical
displacement in the direction of the gravity load which 6. References
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