Thermomechanical analysis of reinforced concrete columns exposed to fire

Abstract

A three-dimensional (3D) transient numerical model for thermomechanical analysis developed with Finite Element Method (FEM) using the software ANSYS 19.1 is exposed in this paper. The proposed model aims to predict the structural behavior of reinforced concrete columns in a fire situation since it is known that high temperatures significantly reduce their mechanical resistance. For this, the main factors that govern their structural behavior should be considered. Analyses obtained by the proposed model were validated with results from experimental data, evidencing a good correlation between numerical and experimental fields.