Performance of Concrete Beams Reinforced with GFRP Bars

Abstract

The strengthening of reinforced concrete structures using advanced fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites is a very popular practice because they are light and highly resistant to corrosion. In particular, the behavior of FRP-reinforced concrete structures is a topic that attracted lot of interest in recent years. However, the application of FRP-reinforced concrete structures requires an extensive development of reliable design equations. This study focuses on the behavior of beams reinforced with different reinforcement ratios of glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars and concrete strength. Displacement, strains, and crack width were measured to study the behavior of beams. The results of the investigation can be summarized as follows: (1) Deflections and strains of concrete beams reinforced with GFRP re-bars are generally larger than those reinforced with steel bars; (2) the strength of the concrete has a negligible effect on crack spacing and crack width; (3) and the FRP over-reinforced concrete beams in this study are safe for design in terms of deformability.