SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 01 January 1961
STP39389S

The New Beam Furnace at PCA and Some Experience Gained from its Use

Source

The precast concrete industry has in recent years produced a number of new types of structural elements for use in framing and enclosing buildings. Prestressing techniques and high-strength deformed reinforcing steels have enabled engineers to design flexural building members of concrete for spans much greater than could be efficiently accommodated heretofore. Free use of the new constructions, particularly in prestressed designs, is being hampered in cities and other population centers of the country because of the paucity of fire resistance information. The Portland cement industry, through the Portland Cement Association, has established a fire research laboratory in Skokie, Ill., and is conducting fire research programs directed to design needs. The principal features and construction details of the first major testing unit installed, a 40-ft beam furnace, are described. Operational experiences with the furnace and methods used for resolving questions of testing procedure not answered by ASTM methods E 119 are discussed. Some data relating to fire tests of a series of 20-ft prestressed concrete beams are presented to illustrate various approaches for ascertaining the end points or fire resistances of concrete beams.

Author Information

Carlson, CC
Portland Cement Assn, Skokie, Ill.
Tatman, PJ
Portland Cement Assn, Skokie, Ill.
Price: $25.00
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Details
Developed by Committee: E05
Pages: 41–59
DOI: 10.1520/STP39389S
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-5678-4
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-5677-7