FEM analysis of FRP RC members

Abstract

The main reasons for choosing fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) materials in the process of designing reinforced concrete structures is their high strength and low weight-to-strength ratio. Also, the corrosion resistance of FRP is the reason for using this type of reinforcement in concrete in an aggressive environment. Since the number of long-term tests is insufficient, the long-term properties and behaviour of FRP reinforced concrete structures are not well-known, yet. The design codes offer the reduced utilisation capacity of FRP materials and it is becoming obvious that it would be appropriate to modify them according to the experiments of the last decades. Reduction factors limit mechanical properties ranging from 0.95 for CFRP to 0.5 for GFRP. The article presents a long-term experimental study based on a four-point bending test on simply supported concrete beams reinforced with GFRP reinforcement in comparison with the results of the FEM analysis.