9.2.1 Structural fire endurance—The level of strengthening that can be achieved through the use of externally bonded FRP reinforcement is often limited by the code-required fireresistance rating of a structure. The polymer resins currently used in wet layup and prepreg FRP systems and the polymer adhesives used in precured FRP systems suffer deterioration of mechanical and bond properties at temperatures close to or exceeding the Tg of the polymer (Bisby et al. 2005b). While the Tg can vary significantly, depending on the polymer chemistry, a typical range for field-applied resins and adhesives is 140 to 180 °F (60 to 82 °C).
Although the FRP system itself has a low fire endurance, a combination of the FRP system with an existing concrete structure may still have an adequate level of fire endurance. This occurs because an insulation system can improve the overall fire rating of a reinforced concrete member by providing protection to its components, concrete, and reinforcing steel. The insulation system can delay strength degradation of the concrete and steel due to fire exposure and increase their residual strengths, thus increasing the fire rating of the member. Hence, with proper insulation, the fire rating of a member can be increased even with the FRP contribution ignored (Bisby et al. 2005a; Williams et al. 2006). This is attributable to the inherent fire endurance of the existing concrete structure alone. To investigate the fire endurance of an FRP-strengthened concrete structure, it is important to recognize that the strength of traditional reinforced concrete structures is somewhat reduced during exposure to the high temperatures associated with a fire event as well. The yield strength of reinforcing steel and the compressive strength of concrete are reduced. As a result, the overall resistance of a reinforced concrete member to load effects is reduced. This concept is used in ACI 216R to provide a method of computing the fire endurance of concrete members. ACI 216R suggests limits that maintain a reasonable level of safety against complete collapse of the structure in the event of a fire.