FLEXURAL BEHAVIOUR OF GLULAM BEAMS REINFORCED WITH CFRP RODS

Abstract

Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) materials are becoming increasingly popular in the civil engineering community, due to their favourable characteristics such as high strength-to-weight ratio, electromagnetic neutrality, and good corrosion resistance. FRP rods are being used as non-metallic reinforcement of newly-constructed concrete members in aggressive environments or as near-surface mounted reinforcement for strengthening of existing concrete, masonry and timber structures. This study investigated the possibility of using Carbon FRP (CFRP) rods as glued-in reinforcement of glulam beams. Full-size beams were tested, with and without the presence of FRP reinforcement. Flexural behaviour of CFRP-reinforced beams was compared with unreinforced beams that were used as control specimens. Different amount of CFRP reinforcement were used in the beam section. The experimental results showed a significant influence of the CFRP rods since the reinforced beams had an increase in ultimate capacity and stiffness. Experimental results were also compared with numerical analysis that was able to furnish results in good agreement with regard to the load and deflection values.