R/C SLABS SUBJECTED TO FIRE AND BLAST

Recent accidents have shown how infrastructures could be strongly vulnerable. A proper design approach is, therefore, required to take into account exceptional load in order to minimize the damage of the structure in case of such events. In the design of a Norwegian Submerged tunnel, these accidental conditions can be regarded as a crucial issue. For this reason, an ad-hoc experimental campaign was designed by Politecnico di Milano and Norwegian University of Science and Technology to study fire-blast interaction. R/C circular slabs were cast to be tested according to a simply-supported scheme with different loading conditions. Preliminary static tests with an inner ring load were performed on slabs at room conditions and after exposure to the Hydrocarbon fire curve. A shock tube equipment available at Politecnico di Milano – Blast and Impact Lab, is used to test specimens loaded in agreement with a blast-like pressure-time history. Two different reflected pressure levels were considered (pmax = 0.3 MPa and pmax = 1.1 MPa) and, also in this case, pristine specimens and specimens previously exposed to a Hydrocarbon fire curve were investigated.