1. Fire performance of thin intumescent coatings : material characterisation and application to mass timber structuresFelix Wiesner, Andrea Lucherini, Wenxuan Wu, Cristian Maluk, Anwar Orabi, 2026, izvirni znanstveni članek Povzetek: This study investigates the thermal behaviour of two opaque and one transparent thin intumescent coating at material level (coating only) and system level (coating applied at real scale on timber), and their effects on timber in fire. Micro-scale tests were conducted to examine the underlying mechanisms of intumescence and degradation for each coating individually, while bench-scale tests demonstrated how these behaviours translate to larger scales. Critical temperature and heat flux thresholds were identified at which the coatings begin to insulate the timber through the formation of the intumescent char layer, as well as those marking degradation of the layer and the reduction of its insulating efficacy. The findings highlight that coating type and thickness, heating conditions and exposure duration influence mass retention, swelling pattern, and the integrity of the intumescent char layer. Overall, the transparent coating exhibited lower durability than the opaque ones. It was also shown that, due to the similar temperature ranges of timber pyrolysis and coating swelling, timber degradation occurs close to the coated surface during the transient swelling process, resulting in a heated region of 15- 20 mm with negligible mechanical properties by the end of swelling. Therefore, intumescent coatings provide insulation progressively rather than immediately.
Ključne besede: mass timber, thin intumescent coatings, swelling, fire testing, charring, fire safety
Objavljeno v DiRROS: 08.04.2026; Ogledov: 173; Prenosov: 154
 Celotno besedilo (8,52 MB)
Gradivo ima več datotek! Več... |
2. High-Intensity Fast-Response Electric Radiant Panel (HIFREP) to impose fire equivalent heat fluxes on building elements with enhanced thermal boundary conditions accuracyFlorian Put, Balša Jovanović, Evelien Symoens, Andrea Lucherini, Bart Merci, Ruben Van Coile, 2025, izvirni znanstveni članek Povzetek: Bench-scale fire testing has gained popularity as a highly controllable and cost-effective solution, overcoming many of the shortcomings of traditional large-scale fire resistance tests. Whereas gas-fired radiant panels have demonstrated significant success in this area, the present study introduces a novel High-Intensity Fast-Response Electric radiant Panel (HIFREP). Utilizing electrically operated radiation emitters, it provides more precise and quasi-instantaneous control over the thermal boundary conditions. HIFREP delivers high and stable heat fluxes up to 105 kW/m2 , and, due to the low thermal inertia of the emitters, can rapidly adjust its output to changes in the input. In this regard, the time constant of the emitters has been found to be less than 1 s, both during heating and cooling. It eliminates gas combustion and hence avoids the need for extraction hoods when testing the fire performance of non-combustible materials, making it suitable for traditional structural testing laboratories. The presented High-Intensity Fast-Response Electric radiant Panel also provides a reliable tool for the validation of FEM simulation results by accurately replicating the thermal boundary conditions in structural fire engineering analyses.
Ključne besede: radiant panel, fire testing, heat transfer, radiation, heat flux, thermal boundary conditions
Objavljeno v DiRROS: 16.06.2025; Ogledov: 858; Prenosov: 441
Celotno besedilo (1,98 MB)
Gradivo ima več datotek! Več... |
3. High-Intensity Fast-Response Electric radiant Panel (HIFREP) for increased accuracy on thermal boundary conditions during fire testingFlorian Put, Balša Jovanović, Evelien Symoens, Andrea Lucherini, Bart Merci, Ruben Van Coile, 2024, objavljeni znanstveni prispevek na konferenci Povzetek: Fire resistance tests rely on the use of standardized furnaces to apply specific thermal boundary conditions to assess the performance of construction materials and systems in fire conditions. However, these tests are very expensive and encounter challenges related to repeatability and uncertainties in establishing thermal boundary conditions. Moreover, their incapacitance to tailor experiments hinders advancements in understanding structural behaviour during fire exposure. In this work, a novel type of radiant panel, that operates on electricity, is introduced: the High-Intensity Fast-Response Electric radiant Panel (HIFREP). This innovation offers enhanced sustainability performance while ensuring more precise control over thermal boundary conditions. By eliminating the need for gas combustion, the panel can be used in a traditional structural testing lab to investigate non-combustible materials (e.g. concrete), without requiring extraction hoods and other provisions. The presented electric radiant panel system represents a significant step forward from fire resistance furnace testing.
Ključne besede: radiant panel, fire testing, heat transfer, radiation, heat flux, fire safety, thermal boundary conditions
Objavljeno v DiRROS: 19.12.2024; Ogledov: 1186; Prenosov: 597
Celotno besedilo (1,01 MB)
Gradivo ima več datotek! Več... |
4. Experimental investigation on the effect of natural fire exposure on the post-fire behavior of reinforced concrete beams using electric radiant panelBalša Jovanović, Robby Caspeele, Edwin Reynders, Geert Lombaert, Florian Put, Andrea Lucherini, Ruben Van Coile, 2024, izvirni znanstveni članek Povzetek: In this study, the effects of natural fire exposure on the post-fire behavior of concrete beams are investigated. The study is based on laboratory tests where three reinforced concrete beams were subjected to fire exposure using an electric radiant panel. This panel enables a precise application of radiative heat exposure closely mimicking natural fire exposure in a safe manner. During the test, the deflections, deformations and temperature changes are measured for all three concrete beams. Additionally, finite element modeling (FEM) is applied to supplement these tests, demonstrating the performance of existing structural fire engineering calculation tools in evaluating the burnout performance of concrete beams. The results of the tests show that the electric radiant panel provide a novel approach for fire simulation which is effective in replicating natural fire conditions, by applying the heat flux as specified in the Eurocode Parametric Fire Curve in a highly controlled manner. The uniformity of the temperature field measured inside the beams and the consistent deformations observed during the heat exposure across all three tests underscores the accuracy of the fire simulation. Furthermore, post-fire assessments reveal that while the exposed beams suffered some reduction in load-bearing capacity, they retained a significant portion of their original strength that was consistent across all three beams. The numerical simulations conducted in this study demonstrate a high level of accuracy in predicting the behavior of the concrete beams during fire exposure. These simulations effectively mirrored the experimental results, validating that they are a valuable tool for assessing concrete structures' performance in fire scenarios.
Ključne besede: concrete beam, fire testing, numerical modeling, radiant panel
Objavljeno v DiRROS: 28.11.2024; Ogledov: 1125; Prenosov: 629
Celotno besedilo (1,80 MB)
Gradivo ima več datotek! Več... |
5. An experimental apparatus for bench-scale fire testing using electrical heating padsAleksandra Seweryn, Andrea Lucherini, Jean-Marc Franssen, 2024, izvirni znanstveni članek Povzetek: This research study concerns an experimental, budget-friendly, electricity- powered apparatus for bench-scale fire testing. The apparatus consists of various elements, of which the most important are ceramic heating pads, used to impose heat fluxes on exposed surfaces of specimens. The test method allows to control the heating pads’ temperature and to adjust the distance between the heating pads and the specimen to obtain well-defined heat fluxes up to 50–60 kW/m2. Higher heat fluxes and temperatures can be obtained by setting the heating pads in full power mode, with or without the use of a thermal shield, which can lead to heat fluxes up to 150 kW/m2. The heating and thermal boundary conditions imposed by the apparatus are characterised and discussed, and the thickness of the convective boundary layer at the heating pads’ surface is estimated significantly lower than in the case of gas- fired radiant panels. The performance of the apparatus is analysed for various conditions: controlling the temperature of the heating pads, in an open environment or with the presence of thermal shields, and in full power mode. A few examples of application of the apparatus to fire test typical construction materials (steel and glass) are also presented. These results emphasise the well-defined heating conditions in temperature-controlled mode. The study finally discusses the advantages and limitations of the apparatus, as well as many possibilities of future applications and improvement for future research studies.
Ključne besede: radiant panels, fire testing, heat transfer, heat flux, electrical heating pads, thermal boundary conditions
Objavljeno v DiRROS: 15.04.2024; Ogledov: 2113; Prenosov: 1404
Celotno besedilo (3,11 MB)
Gradivo ima več datotek! Več... |
