Experimental investigation on the effect of natural fire exposure on the post‐fire behavior of reinforced concrete beams using electric radiant panel

Abstract In this study, the effects of natural fire exposure on the post‐fire behavior of concrete beams are investigated. The study is based on laboratory tests where three reinforced concrete beams were subjected to fire exposure using an electric radiant panel. This panel enables a precise application of radiative heat exposure closely mimicking natural fire exposure in a safe manner. During the test, the deflections, deformations and temperature changes are measured for all three concrete beams. Additionally, finite element modeling (FEM) is applied to supplement these tests, demonstrating the performance of existing structural fire engineering calculation tools in evaluating the burnout performance of concrete beams. The results of the tests show that the electric radiant panel provide a novel approach for fire simulation which is effective in replicating natural fire conditions, by applying the heat flux as specified in the Eurocode Parametric Fire Curve in a highly controlled manner. The uniformity of the temperature field measured inside the beams and the consistent deformations observed during the heat exposure across all three tests underscores the accuracy of the fire simulation. Furthermore, post‐fire assessments reveal that while the exposed beams suffered some reduction in load‐bearing capacity, they retained a significant portion of their original strength that was consistent across all three beams. The numerical simulations conducted in this study demonstrate a high level of accuracy in predicting the behavior of the concrete beams during fire exposure. These simulations effectively mirrored the experimental results, validating that they are a valuable tool for assessing concrete structures' performance in fire scenarios.