Structural response of FRP composites during fire

FRP composite panels, with single skin E-glass/vinylester and cored architectures, were subjected to combined compressive and thermal loading. Failure via panel collapse was monitored as a function of thermally induced material degradation at various levels of applied loads. Thermal loads were caused by exposure to either IMO A.754(18) or UL 1709 flames. The applied load levels were of modest magnitudes and in particular were in the range of 20%, of the collapse loads for undegraded panels. As the application of such modest loads led to a stronger time dependence of failure, as well as a temperature dependence, a time dependent failure model was proposed to analyze the observations of collapse. Our results indicate that the time dependence as well as the temperature dependence of material degradation mediates the failure, and thus the performance, of FRP panels during fire. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.