Abstract

The use of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) in reinforced concrete results in excessive crack widths under service due to its generally low elastic modulus and poor bond characteristics. This study proposes that fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) be used with FRP to reduce crack widths. Sixteen beams are tested under four-point bending with either Grade 420 (Grade 60) steel or FRP reinforcing bars, and either plain concrete or FRC. A modified Gergely-Lutz model was applied to the measured crack widths to calculate bond coefficients that were used to quantify the effectiveness of FRC in reducing crack widths. Results showed that FRC significantly reduced maximum crack widths in beams with FRP reinforcing bars. However, FRC was found to have little influence on crack width in beams with steel reinforcing bars. The use of FRC was also found to reduce bond coefficient on the order of 45-75% for FRP-reinforced beams, compared to 1-15% for steel-reinforced beams.

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