Application of RSM for the Optimization of Steel Fibre Reinforced Concrete Quality at Elevated Temperatures

Anita  Jessie. J; K.K.  Gaayathri; Peerzada  Danish

doi:10.6180/jase.202502_28(2).0020

Application of RSM for the Optimization of Steel Fibre Reinforced Concrete Quality at Elevated Temperatures

Anita Jessie. J¹This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., K.K. Gaayathri¹, and Peerzada Danish²

¹Department of Civil Engineering, Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr. Sagunthala R&D Institute of Science and Technology

²Department of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Hazratbal-190006, Srinagar, Kashmir

Received: December 26, 2023
Accepted: April 7, 2024
Publication Date: May 4, 2024

Copyright The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are cited.

Download Citation: ||https://doi.org/10.6180/jase.202502_28(2).0020

This study uses Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (UPV) to assess the quality of SFRC after exposure to high temperatures. Prism specimens were cast without steel fibre content and with 1.5% steel fibre volume fractions. Following a 28 -day curing period, the concrete specimens were dried and then subjected to a heating regimen in an electric furnace. The temperature inside the furnace was gradually increased to reach four target levels: 100^◦C, 300^◦C, 500^◦C, and 700^◦C. Each temperature level was maintained for a duration of 1 hour. The exposed specimens were then cooled down to ambient air. At 700^◦C, the quality of normal concrete significantly dropped to "Doubtful", while Steel Fibre Reinforced Concrete (SFRC) maintained a "Medium" quality. The Response Surface Methodology (RSM) model is proposed to predict the quality through the UPV at various elevated temperatures. The adjusted R squared value for UPV before and after temperature exposure was observed to be 0.9729 and 0.9407 respectively. This research explores how to optimize steel fibre-reinforced concrete (SFRC) for better performance at high temperatures. This is crucial for structures exposed to fire, such as tunnels, bridges, and high-rise buildings. Improved SFRC behaviour under high temperatures translates to enhanced safety and potentially extends the life of structures in fire scenarios.

Keywords: Concrete, Non Destructive Test, RSM, Steel fibres, Temperature, UPV.

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