Thermal Performance of Steel-Faced Foamed Concrete Sandwich Panels for Building Envelopes under Elevated Temperatures

Haneen Adnan Hassan; Adnan Al-Sibahy

doi:10.71229/wj7sqr04

Authors

Haneen Adnan Hassan Civil Engineering Department, College of Engineering, University of Al-Qadisiyah Al-Diwaniyah, Iraq
Adnan Al-Sibahy Civil Engineering Department, College of Engineering, University of Al-Qadisiyah Al-Diwaniyah, Iraq

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.71229/wj7sqr04

Keywords:

Foamed Concrete, , Shear Connectors, Thermal Performance, Fire Resistance, Bond Resistance

Abstract

Enhancing the fire resistance of construction elements is considered one of the primary goals of recent studies. Consequently, since sandwich panels are among the most vulnerable construction elements, greater attention should be paid to improving their fire behavior. This study experimentally investigated the thermal performance and interface behavior of steel-faced foamed concrete sandwich panels subjected to direct flame exposure. The effects of rib spacing (R10 and R15), connector configuration (6 and 9 connectors), and core strength were experimentally evaluated using eight steel-faced foamed concrete sandwich panel specimens. Two target compressive strengths (2.5 MPa (M1) and 4.0 MPa (M2)) foamed concrete mixes were adopted as core materials. The specimens were subjected to direct flame for 25 minutes, and the temperatures of both exposed and unexposed surfaces were recorded throughout the experiment using infrared thermography (IRT). There was a definite thermal gradient between all specimens tested, with the exposed surface always measuring higher temperatures than the unexposed surface. The temperature difference (ΔT) between the two surfaces varied from around 137°C to a maximum of about 586°C during the heating duration, confirming that these sandwich panels can limit heat transfer through the panel thickness and amount for good thermal insulation. Dominant and secondary parameters were identified based on their influence to the thermal behavior, with rib spacing being dominating parameter and connector configuration showing secondary impact attributed to thermal bridging. Thermal exposure also resulted in moisture evaporation, crack and debonding between the steel face sheets and foamed concrete core. It further highlighted the importance of interface integrity to maintain thermal performance under elevated-temperature conditions due to the associated changes in temperature distribution and thermal gradients across the panel thickness observed at these damage mechanisms.

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