Numerical modelling on fire behaviour of timber-concrete composite beams

The FE models of timber-concrete composite (TCC) beams were established based on ANSYS software in this paper to investigate the temperature field and the fire resistance of TCC beams. To validate the FE models, the simulation results were compared with the existing test results. Based on the results from simulation, the effects of the thickness of the concrete slab and the timber board on the temperature field of TCC beams were analysed in detail. Furthermore, the influence of various factors, such as the thickness of the timber board, space of shear connectors and concrete strength on fire resistance of TCC beams were also investigated. The results show that the simulation results agree well with the experimental results, and verify the correctness of the FE models. The concrete slab has a significant role in heat resistance, delaying the development of temperature field of the upper timber beam in fire. The timber board has a protective effect on the concrete slab in fire condition, and delays the development of temperature field of the concrete slab. The fire resistance of TCC beams is improved with the increase of the thickness of the timber board and concrete strength. Besides, the space of shear connectors has a significant influence on the fire resistance.