Behaviour of Concrete Beams Reinforced with Hybrid FRP Composite Rebar

Abstract

Extensive research has led to a better understanding of the application of various corrosion protection methods in reinforced concrete (RC) structures and the use of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) rebars is a typical example. However different fibres come along with different deficiencies, such as low elastic moduli and poor alkaline resistance in glass fibre (Saikia et al. 2007); brittle fracture and high cost in carbon fibre. Taking advantages of the strength of different fibres and the cost effectiveness of steel fibre, a hybrid composite rebar was recently developed. Steel fibers and glass fibers are distributed within the core, while aramid and carbon fibers created a shell for strength and corrosion protection. A series of concrete beams reinforced with the proposed hybrid rebars were tested and it was demonstrated that the beams have the ability to undergo large inelastic deformations, and the ductility indexes were found to be similar conventional steel-reinforced beams. Besides, accelerated alkaline ageing tests were performed using concrete pore solutions at different temperatures, and the service life and alkaline resistance of the proposed rebar were proven to be very good.