Theoretical and Experimental Study on the Behaviour of Deep Beams Reinforced Internally Using Hybrid Fibre-Reinforced Polymer Rebars with and Without Web Openings

Abstract

The use of non-corrosive reinforcements in the place of steel reinforcements has therefore been focused as an alternative to improve the life span of the concrete structures. Fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcements offer many advantages over steel reinforcements including resistance to electrochemical corrosion, high strength to weight ratio and easy in fabrication and electromagnetic insulating properties. The use of hybrid FRP reinforcements in lieu of conventional steel reinforcements requires better understanding under different parametric conditions. Therefore, the present study deals mainly with the behaviour of deep beams with and without openings reinforced internally with hybrid-type FRP reinforcements under static loading condition. In this study, two types of grades of beams, viz., normal and high strengths concrete deep beams with and without web openings are investigated. Among the sixteen beams, eight beams are reinforced internally using conventional reinforcements with and without web openings, and eight beams are reinforced internally using hybrid FRP reinforcements with and without web openings. Different parameters like normal strength concrete, high strength concrete, web opening positions (Top, Middle and Bottom), and span sprinkled FRP hybrid reinforcements are considered. Based on this study, the static load carrying capacities and their modes of failures of deep beams reinforced internally with FRP hybrid type reinforcements for various web openings positions are compared with the existing theories for better understandings. A good agreement exists between the theoretical and experimental results. Based on the experimental and theoretical work, the final conclusions of the present study are derived.