Performance of High Strength Concrete Subjected to Elevated Temperatures: A Review

Advancement in the field of construction has given rise to the modification of conventional materials in order to utilize the full potential of their components to achieve high durability, strength, and other engineering characteristics. Construction materials should ideally be environmental friendly. These diverse requirements resulted in the invention of high strength concrete (HSC). A rapidly increasing use of HSC in most of the construction projects has encouraged researchers to identify its behavior at elevated temperatures. This has led to the recognition of an inadequate understanding of elevated temperatures’ effects on the behavior of HSC. This paper initially provides necessary information about HSC and relates its benefits. A number of different design standards for the preparation of HSC are also presented and compared. Previous research activities performed on HSC to identify the effect of elevated temperatures on the properties of HSC are reviewed. Findings showed that the mechanical properties of NSC decreases at a 10% to 20% higher rate than HSC ranging between ambient temperature and approximately 350°C, depending upon the mix proportions and initial compressive strength of the concrete. The differences become narrower at temperature above 350°C. Major failure modes are identified and future recommendations are presented.