Performance of Compression Yielded FRP-Reinforced Concrete Beams with T Sections

Abstract

Concrete structures reinforced with fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcement have been increasingly applied in civil engineering construction to improve several structural performances of bridges and buildings. However, the major weakness of these structures is that they typically suffer from poor ductility and brittle failure. An innovative mechanism called compression yielding (CY) has recently been proposed to enhance the ductility of FRP-reinforced concrete beams. In this study, the moment capacity and ductility of CY beams with T sections are analyzed based on a layered approach. The key variables in the design of a CY beam with a T section are identified and their importance is comprehensively investigated based on the elementary effects method and a parametric study. It is found that the ductility performance can be effectively improved by using a CY material with postmodulus ratio close to 0, and the moment capacity can be enhanced significantly by increasing the CY material strength. The most effective measure for simultaneously improving the moment capacity and ductility performance is to increase the CY block height.