Document Archives

Fire Resistance of Ribbed Concrete and Composite Slabs

• ID:

  552

• ESCSI:

  4220.082

• Author:

  Lawson, R.M.

• Publication Name:

  Concrete

• Type of Publication:

  Journal

• Publisher:

  Construction Industry Research and Information Association

• Dated:

  1987

• Issue/Volume:

  May, Vol. 21, No. 5

• Other ID:

• Page(s):

  18-20

• Reference List:

  Y

• Abstract:

  The advantage of lightweight aggregate concrete is that the reinforcement is insulated in fire not only by the natural properties of the aggregate, but also because of the lack of spalling compared to the normal weight concrete. The beneficial effect of lightweight concrete on the fire resistance of reinforced concreted slabs with thin ribs has been demonstrated recently by a large scale fire test. A common use of lightweight concrete is in composite floors where the advantages of its weight-saving and insulation properties are combined with the ease of construction of a steel frame and steel decking as permanent formwork. A series of fire tests on realistic floor elements have shown that for composite slabs with spans up to 3m, fire resistance periods of 90 minutes are feasible with only light mesh reinforcment.