Exposure to elevated temperatures and cooled under different regimes–a study on polypropylene concrete

Fire is one of the most destructive powers to which a building structure can be subjected, often exposing concrete elements to elevated temperatures. The relative properties of concrete after such an exposure are of significant importance in terms of the serviceability of buildings. Unraveling the heating history of concrete and different cooling regimes is important for forensic research or to determine whether a fire-exposed concrete structure and its components are still structurally sound or not. Assessment of fire-damaged concrete structures usually starts with visual observation of colour change, cracking and spalling. Thus, it is important to know the effect of elevated temperatures on strength retention properties of concrete. This study reports the effect of elevated temperature on the mechanical properties of the concrete specimen with polypropylene fibres and cooled differently under various regimes. In the heating cycle, the specimen were subjected to elevated temperatures ranging from 200