ASSESSING SHEAR-LAG EFFECT ON PULTRUDED FRP RODS BASED ON A NUMERICAL SIMULATION

Abstract

Fiber reinforced polymer rods fabricated from unidirectional fibers and a polymer matrix strengthen effectively reinforced concrete structures, such as the use in near-surface mounted systems. This study focused on aramid fiber reinforced polymer (AFRP) and analytically assessed the shear-lag effect that significantly affects the tensile capacity of the rod. A representative volume element model was employed for predicting the transversely isotropic properties of AFRP rods. In addition, a finite element simulation for the tension test model was performed to assess the shear-lag effect of an AFRP rod with various diameters. The study proposed a procedure for calculating the stress distribution in any cross-section of a fiber reinforced polymer rod. The simulation results agreed well with the previous experimental study. The findings clearly indicated the position of the failure section and the unequal tensile stress distribution in it. The study revealed that the shear-lag effect varied by the rod diameter affects the stress distribution at the failure section and the tensile capacity. The paper shows that the ultimate tensile capacity of any pultruded FRP rod can be predicted by the proposed method.