A Rational Approach for Fire-Resistance Evaluation of Double-Tee, Prestressed Concrete Slabs in Parking Structures

■ Case studies analyzed with the proposed rational approach indicate that fire-resistance predictions for double-tee slabs under current prescriptive approaches for evaluating fire resistance are overly conservative. Double-tee, prestressed concrete slabs offer numerous advantages over traditional slab systems in terms of higher load-carrying capacity, better use of space, cost-effectiveness, and optimized production. Consequently, the use of these slabs as a structural solution has gained popularity in recent decades. Double-tee slabs are often used in parking structures, where their longer spans reduce the total number of required columns, allowing better use of space.