Post-cooling properties of concrete exposed to fire

Concrete structures are able to resist high temperatures due to fire relatively well and they can be repaired afterwards. In order to select appropriate repair strategies, assessment of the condition of a concrete structure after fire is of crucial importance. Previous research has mostly been focusing on the strength of concrete during fire and considering slow cooling of elements to room temperature. Guidelines and models related to these conditions have been incorporated into structural design codes. However, in reality, fast cooling of concrete by means of water occurs frequently and the effect of this cooling method has been much less the subject of research investigations. Nevertheless, the effect of water cooling can be significant. In this article the effect of water cooling on the residual compressive strength, stress-strain diagram and bond strength between concrete and reinforcement is investigated. Two cooling methods are considered, i.e. quenching and spraying of specimens. It is found that the investigated properties are extremely sensitive to heating with subsequent water cooling.