Large scale fire test on tunnel segment: Real boundary conditions in order to evaluate spalling sensitivity and fire resistance

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to reproduce the real state of stress in a tunnel segment in order to evaluate the spalling sensivity. Numerical tools have been used to predict the restrained axial forces which may appear due to the thermal expansion. A new experimental set up has been designed to withstand these forces. Thus the choice of a protected self-resistant slab to reproduce the surroundings has been done to test the loaded precast tunnel segment which withstood a two hour modified hydrocarbon fire with only limited amount of spalling. © Owned by the authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2013.