Study on Shear Behaviour of Concrete Beams Prestressed with External CFRP Tendons

Abstract

Based on independent research and development of a CFRP tendons wedge-type anchorage, the shear tests of six CFRP external prestressing concrete beams were done. Among them, CFRP external tendons of three pieces were installed in straight line while other pieces were installed in curved line. The results of experimental research show that shear behaviour of concrete beams prestressed with CFRP external tendons are the similar process to the traditional prestressed reinforced concrete beams. They go through the elastic stage, the stage of crack extension, the yield stage of internal hoop reinforcements at the intersection of inclined cracks and the failure stage. When external CFRP tendons are arranged in the same situation, the cracking load and the shear capacity of concrete beams prestressed with CFRP external tendons reduce gradually along with the increase of shear-span ratio,.When shear-span ratio is equal, the cracking load and the shear capacity of concrete beams prestressed with curved arrangement of CFRP external tendons are larger than those of concrete beams prestressed with straight arrangement of CFRP external tendons. Compared with traditional concrete beams prestressed with external steel bars, due to elasticity modulus and shear modulus of CFRP tendons are both smaller than those of steel bars, the mid-span deflection of concrete beams prestressed with CFRP external tendons at the time of shear failure is bigger than that of traditional concrete beams prestressed with external steel bars under the same circumstance.