BOND AND FLEXURAL BEHAVIOR OF SELF-CONSOLIDATING CONCRETE BEAMS REINFORCED WITH GFRP BARS

Abstract

Self-consolidating concrete (SCC) is widely used in the construction industry. SCC is a high-performance concrete with high workability and consistency allowing it to flow under its own weight without vibration. Despite the wide spread of SCC applications, bond behavior of FRP bars embedded in SCC beams has not been fully studied. This paper presents an experimental and analytical analysis of fifteen beams reinforced with glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars. The test parameters were the concrete type, bar diameter, concrete cover thickness and embedment length. All beams were tested in four-point bending to failure. The average bond stresses of GFRP bars in SCC were found comparable to those in NVC. However, FRP bars embedded in SCC beams had higher bond stresses within uncracked region of the beams than those embedded in NVC beams. In contrast, GFRP bars in SCC had lower bond stresses than FRP bars in NVC within the cracked region. Results indicated that when cover concrete thickness dropped less than 2 db, the splitting bond failure is predominant.