Title:
Thermoluminescence: A Comparison with the Residual Strength of Various Concretes
Author(s):
Leslie Smith and Francis Placido
Publication:
Symposium Paper
Volume:
80
Issue:
Appears on pages(s):
293-304
Keywords:
acceptability; compressive strength; concretes; damage;
fires; quartz; thermal properties; thermoluminescence.
DOI:
10.14359/6596
Date:
7/1/1983
Abstract:
Conventional methods for the assessment of fire damaged concrete structures tend to be unreliable, since in post-real fire situations accurate estimates of the temperatures reached and the resulting distribution of damage are at present impossible. The thermoluminescence test gives a measure of thermal history of a sample of concrete. The residual compressive strength of various concretes has been shown to depend on the thermal exposure rather than just the maximum temperature reached in a fire. The correlation between the residual compressive strength of the concrete and the thermoluminescence signal remaining in small samples of quartz sand extracted from the concrete is described. This may allow a criterion to be established for the acceptance or rejection of fire exposed concrete where no obvious visual damage is apparent and would therefore provide us with information which would promote greater understanding of the residual condition of a fire damage concrete structure.