Effect of insulation materials on the nominal moment capacity in reinforced concrete flat slabs at high temperature

In this study, the effects of high temperature caused by fire on the nominal moment capacity of reinforced concrete (RC) plane slabs are investigated. The possible improvements on the nominal moment capacities due to the use of isolation materials are also examined. To this end, temperature distribution through RC slab thickness is obtained for two cases: with or without using isolation materials, having various thicknesses and different thermal conductivities. The nominal moment capacity versus temperature is obtained to illustrate the effects of heat on the nominal moment capacities of the RC plane slabs. It is shown that isolation materials having low thermal conductivity are more efficient for durability to fire. The result of the study suggests that the lack of availability of the high temperature durable material is compensated using isolation materials with greater thermal conductivity, provided that the material is thick enough.