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 manufactured from glass or basalt fibers embedded in a polymer matrix
have high tensile strength, stiffness and enhanced durability. Also, FRP rebars have moderate costs. 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 were tested under a four-point flexural test until failure.
Both the failure load, the failure mechanism and the mid-span deflection of the tested beams are presented and
discussed. The experimental investigation showed that the major failure mode of the tested beams reinforced by FRP
bars is crushing of concrete at the top substrate. Additionally, theoretical analysis of the ultimate flexural capacity and
the failure loads were computed using American design guidelines and were found to be in good agreement with the
experimental results. |
