Behavior of FRP-RC Members during Exposure to Fire

New type of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcement has been developed in previous years at Brno University of Technology, which can be used for reinforcing, strengthening and prestressing of concrete structures. The main advantage of FRP reinforcement is resistibility against aggressive environment and thus the possibility to use thinner concrete cover. High durability and resistibility are demanded from modern constructions. Some of the influences cover the effects of fire exposure or high temperature in general. Hence the next part of the research is focused on resistibility of FRP reinforced structures under effects of fire. The paper deals with experiments oriented to observing the behaviour of prestressed and non-prestressed FRPRC panels subjected to fire effects as well as behaviour of FRP reinforcement itself. Results of experiments proved resistibility of FRP reinforced panels to fire effects. They also demonstrate the importance of understanding the behaviour of composite reinforcing bars alone and their behaviour along the anchoring zone in concrete members exposed to fire. A sufficient anchorage length (enabling the transfer of load from the reinforcement into the concrete) turned out to be a key feature enabling a structure to withstand over much longer time periods and even under surprisingly high temperatures.