Abstract
This paper investigates the feasibility of replacing steel bars with carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) bars in continuous reinforced concrete (RC) beams. A numerical model is introduced. Model predictions are compared with the experimental results that are available in the literature. A comprehensive numerical investigation is then performed on two-span CFRP/steel RC beams with ρb2 = 0.61–3.03% and ρb1/ρb2 = 1.5, where ρb1 and ρb2 are tensile bar ratios (ratios of tensile bar area to effective cross-sectional area of beams) over positive and negative moment regions, respectively. The study shows that replacing steel bars with CFRP bars greatly improves the crack mode at a low bar ratio. The ultimate load of CFRP RC beams is 89% higher at ρb2 = 0.61% but 7.2% lower at ρb2 = 3.03% than that of steel RC beams. In addition, CFRP RC beams exhibit around 13% greater ultimate deflection compared to steel RC beams. The difference of moment redistribution between CFRP and steel RC beams diminishes as ρb2 increases. ACI 318-19 appears to be conservative, and it leads to more accurate predictions of moment redistribution in CFRP RC beams than that in steel RC beams.
Highlights
The corrosion of steel bars is responsible for the structural deterioration of reinforced concrete (RC) members around the world, especially those in aggressive environment [1].Replacing conventional steel bars with non-corrosive fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) bars can effectively solve the corrosive issue
The investigated variables are the type of bars
Th ultimate deflection of carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) RC beams is around 13% greater than that of steel RC beam over the entire ρb2 levels investigated
Summary
The corrosion of steel bars is responsible for the structural deterioration of reinforced concrete (RC) members around the world, especially those in aggressive environment [1]. Replacing conventional steel bars with non-corrosive fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) bars can effectively solve the corrosive issue. Apart from their anti-corrosiveness, FRPs have other attractive advantages over steels, such as higher strength, lighter weight and nonmagnetism [2]. FRP materials are widely employed to reinforce/strengthen various concrete members, such as sheets [3,4], bars [5,6] and tendons [7,8]. FRPs are brittle in nature, and this may result in sudden structural collapse without sufficient warnings. A careful assessment on the replacement of steel bars with
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