Abstract
Geogrids have been investigated by a limited number of studies as a potential alternative to steel reinforcement for Portland cement concrete (PCC), especially in situations where using steel reinforcement may not be suitable due to constructability and durability limitations. This study aims to investigate the flexural behavior of simply-supported concrete beams reinforced by geogrids, which would aid in assessing the potential use of geogrids for concrete structures such as overlays and other thin sections. Another objective of this study is to examine the potential benefits of embedding geogrids in PCC, and to investigate the mechanism and effectiveness of geogrid reinforcement in PCC. Plain and geogrid-reinforced concrete beams were fabricated and tested under a static four-point flexural bending load. The midspan deflection and crack mouth opening displacement (CMOD) of the beams were recorded during loading. Additionally, for geogrid-reinforced beams, strain gages were attached on the geogrids to monitor the strains that developed in geogrids. Results reveal that the geogrid primarily contributes to improving the ductility of the post-peak behavior of plain concrete and to delaying the collapse failure of concrete beams. Strain measurements of the geogrids indicate that the geogrids were activated and mobilized instantly upon the application of the flexural load. Both the strain measurements and observations of the geogrids post failure suggest that there was no slippage between the geogrids and the concrete.
Highlights
Steel reinforcing bars are the most commonly-used reinforcements for Portland cement concrete (PCC), there are scenarios where steel rebars are not suitable for reinforcing PCC due to constructability and durability limitations
Steel rebars are prone to corrosion in thin sections due to insufficient concrete cover [1]
Other materials have been investigated for their use in PCC as alternatives to steel rebars, including fiber reinforced plastic polymer (FRP) bars, tendons, and FRP grids [2,3,4,5]
Summary
Steel reinforcing bars (rebars) are the most commonly-used reinforcements for Portland cement concrete (PCC), there are scenarios where steel rebars are not suitable for reinforcing PCC due to constructability and durability limitations. Geogrids are usually embedded in unbound geomaterials with which they interact through interlocking and shear resistance to provide reinforcement to earthen structures such as earth retaining walls, slopes, embankments, shallow foundations, and pavements [11,12,13] Due to their relatively high strength-to-weight ratio, ease of handling, and relatively lower cost, geogrids have been increasingly investigated for potential use as reinforcements for PCC. The objective of this study is twofold: (1) to investigate the flexural behavior of -supported geogrid-reinforced PCC beams under a static four-point bending load, which would aid in assessing the use of geogrid reinforcement in concrete structures such as overlays and other thin concrete sections; and (2) to examine the benefits of embedding geogrids in PCC, and investigate the mechanism and effectiveness of geogrid reinforcement therein. For reinforced concrete beams, the geogrids were instrumented with strain gages at various locations to monitor the strains developed in the geogrids during the flexural loading
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