Abstract
This study investigated the punching shear behavior of full-scale, two-way concrete slabs reinforced with glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars, which are known as noncorrosive reinforcement. The relatively low modulus of elasticity of GFRP bars affects the large deflection of flexural members, however, applying these to two-way concrete slabs can compensate the weakness of the flexural stiffness due to an arching action with supporting girders. The test results demonstrated that the two-way concrete slabs with GFRP bars satisfied the allowable deflection and crack width under the service load specified by the design specification even in the state of the minimum reinforcement ratio. Previous predicting equations and design equations largely overestimated the measured punching shear strength when the slab was supported by reinforced concrete (RC) girders. The strength difference can be explained by the fact that the flexural behavior of the supporting RC beam girders reduces the punching shear strength because of the additional deflection of RC beam girders. Therefore, for more realistic estimations of the punching shear strength of two-way concrete slabs with GFRP bars, the boundary conditions of the concrete slabs should be carefully considered. This is because the stiffness degradation of supporting RC beam girders may influence the punching shear strength.
Highlights
Steel bar corrosion in reinforced concrete (RC) structures adversely impact on the durability and structural capacity of RC members
Two-way concrete slabs can be considered a good application for FRP bars to overcome the lack of flexural stiffness as a result of compressive membrane action, which is similar to the arching action
This study investigates the structural performance of full-scale, two-way concrete slabs reinforced with glass-fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars
Summary
Steel bar corrosion in reinforced concrete (RC) structures adversely impact on the durability and structural capacity of RC members. FRP bars have been widely considered as substitutes for the reinforcement of steel bars in previous RC structures due to advantages such as their high resistance to electrochemical corrosion, high strength-weight ratio, and lightness [2,3,4,5]. Rather than their strength, the lower flexural stiffness of FRP bars, compared to steel bars, is a more significant problem with respect to serviceability in terms of deflection and crack width [6]. A previous study reported that when a two-way concrete slab is restrained at the edges, it may not require flexural reinforcement to Polymers 2018, 10, 893; doi:10.3390/polym10080893 www.mdpi.com/journal/polymers
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