High-Temperature Behavior and Performance of Concrete Systems

Concrete structures exposed to elevated temperatures undergo a complex interplay of physical and chemical changes that can compromise their integrity. Initial heating drives off free and bound water, leading to shrinkage, microcracking and reductions in stiffness. At moderate temperatures (up to around 300 °C), some strength recovery may occur as further hydration or sintering processes take place, but beyond this range irreversible damage accelerates. Thermal incompatibility between aggregates and cementitious matrix generates internal stresses and contributes to spalling, whereby surface layers detach explosively under rapid heating. Fibre reinforcement, incorporating materials such as steel or polypropylene, has emerged as an effective strategy to alleviate pore pressure build-up, control crack propagation and preserve residual mechanical performance. Advances in constitutive modelling now allow for more accurate predictions of thermal strain, creep and damage evolution under combined thermal and mechanical loading. These developments have global significance for fire-resilient design in tunnels, high-rise buildings and industrial facilities, as well as for the assessment of ageing infrastructure under accidental fire exposure.

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High-Temperature Behavior and Performance of Concrete Systems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in high-temperature behavior and performance of concrete systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Spalling: The sudden detachment or explosive ejection of surface layers in concrete caused by internal pore‐pressure build-up and thermal stresses during rapid heating.

Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC): A cementitious composite characterised by compressive strengths exceeding 150 MPa, very low permeability and enhanced toughness, often achieved through high cement content and fibre reinforcement.

Reactive Powder Concrete (RPC): A type of UHPC with optimised particle packing and very low water‐to‐cement ratio, typically incorporating silica fume and fine sand to achieve exceptional strength and durability.

Thermomechanical Damage: Material degradation arising from the combined effects of thermal expansion mismatch and mechanical loading, leading to microcracks and stiffness loss.

Residual Mechanical Properties: The remaining strength, stiffness and toughness of concrete after exposure to elevated temperatures or fire, crucial for post-event safety assessments.

References

1. Influence of steel fiber types on residual mechanical properties and explosive spalling of hybrid fiber reinforced ultra-high performance concrete: Optimization and evaluations. Case Studies in Construction Materials (2023).
2. Ultra-High performance concrete (UHPC) with polypropylene (Pp) and steel Fibres: Investigation on the high temperature behaviour. Construction and Building Materials (2021).
3. Study of Toughness and Macro/Micro-Crack Development of Fibre-Reinforced Ultra-High Performance Concrete After Exposure to Elevated Temperature. Materials (2019).
4. Effect of Fibers on High-Temperature Mechanical Behavior and Microstructure of Reactive Powder Concrete. Materials (2019).
5. Concrete strains under transient thermal conditions: A state-of-the-art review. Engineering Structures (2016).