Serviceability of Concrete Beams Reinforced with FRP Bars

This research program aims at investigating the flexural behaviour and serviceability performance of concrete members reinforced with different types and ratios of carbon and glass FRP bars and fabricated using normal-and high-strength concretes. In addition, it evaluates the bond-dependent coefficient (kb) of glass and carbon FRP bars in normal- and high-strength concrete beams. The experimental program included fabricating and testing of thirty three full-scale simply-supported beams measuring 4250-mm long × 200-mm wide × 400-mm deep. Twenty seven concrete beams were reinforced with glass FRP bars, four concrete beams were reinforced with carbon FRP bars, and two beams were reinforced with steel bars. All beams were tested in four-point bending over a clear span of 3750 mm. The test parameters were: reinforcement type and ratio, FRP bar diameter and surface configurations, number of FRP layers, and concrete strength. The test results of these beams were presented and discussed in terms of flexural capacity and mode of failure, concrete and reinforcement strains, deflection, and crack widths through three journal papers presented in this work.