The United States has one of the worst fire loss records in the industrialized world and within the area of fire science and engineering, structural fire safety is the least developed. Fire represents one of the most severe environmental conditions to which structures may be subjected, and hence, the provision of appropriate fire safety measures for structural members is an important aspect of design. Reinforced concrete structural systems are quite frequently used in high-rise buildings and in recent years, the use of high strength concrete (HSC) is becoming more popular due to the improvements in structural performance such as high-strength and durability. This research will start with the development of constitutive relationships for high temperature material properties of HSC. A numerical model, in the form of a computer program, will be developed for tracing the response of HSC columns under fire exposure. The behavior of an HSC column subjected to fire will be estimated using coupled heat transfer/strain equilibrium analysis based on theoretical heat transfer and mechanics principles. The model will be validated using test data obtained through a series of fire resistance experiments that will be conducted on HSC columns. The verified numerical model will be utilized to carryout a series of parametric studies to determine various factors that govern the fire resistance of HSC columns. Results from parametric studies and experiments will be used to develop rational and cost-effective guidelines for fire safety design of HSC columns.
