Guidelines for flexural design of FRP reinforced concrete beams

Abstract

This paper investigates the effects of different parameters on the live load carrying capacity of concrete beams reinforced with FRP bars. The author performed a parametric study utilizing an innovative numerical approach to inspect the effects of multiple variables such as reinforcement ratio, concrete compressive strength, span to depth ratio, FRP type, and bar diameter on load carrying capacity of FRP reinforced concrete beams. This study concluded that unless the span to height ratio is smaller than 8, tension-controlled sections are impractical as they do not meet code requirements for serviceability. In addition, it is recommended to use higher reinforcement ratios when using larger span to depth ratios and/or when using CFRP reinforcing bars. Moreover, larger number of bars with small diameter is more practical than fewer large diameter bars. Furthermore, this research suggests that increasing the concrete compressive strength is associated with a significant increase in the ultimate flexural capacity of FRP reinforced beams.