Structural performance of fire-damaged concrete beams retrofitted using bamboo fiber laminates
Paul O. Awoyera, Ayomide Akin-Adeniyi, Alireza Bahrami, Lenin Miguel Bendezú Romero
Abstract
Fire-induced damage is a serious threat to the structural integrity of reinforced concrete (RC) beams, necessitating an effective retrofitting strategy to restore and improve their performance. This study investigates the structural performance of fire-damaged concrete beams retrofitted with bamboo fibre laminates. A comprehensive analysis is performed, incorporating degradation rules to quantify the effect of temperature on both load-carrying capacity and ultimate deflection of the RC beams. Eight conventionally designed and reinforced RC beams were tested, with two serving as controls. The remaining six beams were tested in pairs at three temperatures (400, 600, and 800 °C) for 2-h exposure, with one beam featuring a bamboo fibre laminate in each pair. Bamboo fibre laminate improves the load-carrying capability and deflection of fire-damaged beams when subjected to incremental loading until failure. Deflection improved by 48.78 % at 400 °C, restoring load-carrying capability to control levels. Load-carrying capability increased by 29.5 % at 600 °C, while deflection was restored by 39.37 %. Load-carrying capability increased by 37 % at 800 °C, while deflection improved by 4.83 %. According to the findings, bamboo fibre laminate is a viable alternative to synthetic fibres for reinforcing fire-damaged timbers.