Design of reinforced concrete beams submitted to fire using fire resistant steel reinforcement bars

• Grant number: 20/13003-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: January 01, 2021
• End date: December 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Civil Engineering - Structural Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Valdir Pignatta e Silva
• Grantee: Giulianna Thereza Alves Listo
• Host Institution: Escola Politécnica (EP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Exposure to fire conditions can cause rapid damage to reinforced concrete structures by reducing its resistant capacity; as a result, even today these casualties cause irreparable material and immaterial losses. It is understood, therefore, that the technological improvement of structural elements is essential for the advancement of fire safety engineering. A form of improvement that has been studied in recent years is the fire resistant or with improved fire behavior steel. These special metal alloys are already applied to steel structures, although their contribution to the performance of reinforced concrete structures is still little known. The research presented seeks to evaluate the influence of this type of material in the design of reinforced concrete beams by proposing a new tabular method for checking these structures under fire situations, considering the use of the improved steel to replace the conventional longitudinal reinforcement bars. The study will be essentially numerical and theoretical and suggests that there will be a reduction in the minimum dimensions required of the beams' cross sections, which will be verified in the final paper. If the results achieved are promising, this study will work as a basis for future researches on the feasibility of the routine use of these steels and their applicability in other types of reinforced concrete elements. (AU)