FRP-FLEXURAL STRENGTHENING OF STEEL BEAMS: A FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS STUDY

Abstract

Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) strengthening has been widely used for concrete structures. However, limited studies have been conducted on its application to steel structures. The use of FRP materials to retrofit steel members is an effective replacement for welded or bolted steel plates and offer high strength-to-weight ratio, resilience to environmental degradation, and a robust fatigue performance. Past studies have shown that the application of FRP to steel is a promising technical solution to help against corrosion and also to increase the load carrying capacity of steel members. In the present study, finite element analysis (FEA) model of a steel beam strengthened with carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates was developed using ANSYS Mechanical finite element software program. The model was validated by comparing the FEA and experimental results of an existing study in the literature and they were in good agreement. A parametric study was conducted on the validated steel beam model with the aim to investigate the effects of basalt fiber reinforced polymer (BFRP) and two types of adhesives on its performance under static loading. The FRP laminates provided an increase in flexural capacity and pseudo ductility of the beams. The optimum bond length was found to be 2/5 of the span length for the beam in this study.