Influence of Exposure to High Temperatures on the Mechanical and Physical Properties of Reinforced Concrete

Reinforced concrete remains one of the most widely used materials in the construction sector. However, over time, its actual service life frequently falls shorter than its nominal projected lifespan, due to exposure to high temperatures, which is a significant factor in this deterioration. Under such conditions, individual components, specifically the cementing material and the steel reinforcement, get altered, and this results in distinct behavioral changes. Consequently, this study evaluates the effect of temperature on the structural behavior of reinforced concrete subjected to temperatures of 500ºC, 700ºC, and 800ºC and exposure periods of 3 and 6 hours. For the attainment of this paper’s objective, compressive strength and splitting tensile strength tests were conducted. Furthermore, the results indicated that, across all of the samples, compressive strength of the materials was reduced by 75%, while their tensile strength demonstrated a 50% loss. Additionally, A weight variation of approximately 2% was also observed, though no significant dimensional changes occurred. It is concluded that putting concrete into high-temperature exposure severely impacts the cement-steel interaction, ending up altering internal properties and leading to progressive damage. It would be advisable to expand research aimed at mitigating the observed deterioration in order to develop tools to anticipate the behavior of structures exposed to extreme thermal conditions, such as those generated during fires.