Experimental and Analytical Investigation of FRP Reinforced Concrete Beams in Flexure

Abstract

Rebars fabricated from fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP) are innovative materials utilized as an alternative to traditional steel reinforcement rebars in reinforced concrete structures to overcome corrosion problems especially in harsh and aggressive environments. FRP rebars made of glass or basalt fibers embedded in polymer matrix have high tensile strength, stiffness and enhanced durability, and also have moderate cost. This research investigates experimentally the flexural performance of FRP reinforced concrete beams. In the experimental program, two concrete beams reinforced by glass and basalt FRP bars are tested under four-point flexural test until failure. The failure load, failure mechanism and mid-span deflection of the tested beams are presented and discussed. The experimental investigation showed that the main failure mode of the tested beams reinforced by FRP bars is crushing of concrete at top substrate. Additionally, theoretical analysis for the ultimate flexural capacity and failure loads are computed using American design guidelines and were found to be in good agreement with the experimental results.