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On the Effect of Design Parameters and Boundary Conditions on the Post-Earthquake Fire Performance of RC Structural Walls
Abstract
The post-earthquake fire (PEF) behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) structural walls investigated using finite element analysis. Damage due to an earthquake consists of damage to the concrete and steel at the heavily reinforced end regions of the wall. The loss of cover increases the spread of thermal damage through the wall, impacting the thermal fire resistance of the wall and damaging the material for load-bearing fire resistance. This paper investigates the influence of key wall characteristics (geometry, reinforcement ratios, and axial load demand) on the fire resistance. Results indicate that, for damaged RC walls, i) at low axial loads, the insulation criterion controls the fire resistance, ii) higher reinforcement ratios contribute to increased load-bearing fire resistance, and iii) longer boundary regions can have accelerate the rate of heat transfer through a damaged wall.