Performance of fibre-reinforced cementitious composites at elevated temperatures : a review

The demand for various types of fibre-reinforced cementitious composites (FRCCs) has increased over the past few years owing to their enhanced performance as a result of denser microstructure and the presence of fibres. However, the effectiveness in preventing mechanical decay and spalling damage on exposure to elevated temperatures has been a concern for FRCC. The results obtained from existing studies on the fire performance of FRCCs differ considerably due to the differences in adopted type of cementitious matrix, fibre types and their dosage, or testing methods. This paper aims to understand the combined influence of such factors and provide an in-depth review of their effects on the performance of FRCC at elevated temperatures. Temperature variation of different mechanical and thermal properties of FRCC and the factors contributing to its spalling resistance are comprehensively discussed and some potential areas for further research have been identified. In addition, available data and existing prediction models on the residual or hot-state mechanical properties of FRCC are also summarized which may be used in future numerical or other computational studies for the fire resistance design of structures.