Numerical Investigation of a Hybrid FRP-Geopolymer Concrete Beam

Abstract

Over the past years, numerical investigations have gained more attention and success in analysing the overall performance of hybrid FRP-concrete structures in civil engineering applications. In this study, a hybrid FRP-geopolymer concrete beam, which consists of high-strength geopolymer concrete filled into a rectangular hollow section pultruded GFRP profile, has been investigated numerically using the commercial software ABAQUS. A non-linear finite element model has been developed to simulate the flexural behavior of this hybrid beam under four-point static loading. Different material models were employed to describe the materials used for the hybrid beam members. The numerical results including the flexural capacity and load deflection curves are compared and verified with published experimental data from literature. The determination of dilation angle of geopolymer concrete and the effect of mesh dimensions are also compared and reported in this study. A reasonable agreement between experimental data and the numerical result is obtained, which indicates the finite element model developed in this numerical investigation is able to predict the non-linear behavior of this hybrid beam.