Experimental Investigation of the Effects of FRP Bar Fiber Type and Surface Characteristics on the Performance of Reinforced Concrete Beams

Abstract

In this study, experimental investigations were conducted on rectangular cross-section beams to determine the effects of FRP (fiber-reinforced polymer) bars with different fiber and surface characteristics on the flexural performance of reinforced concrete beams. Taking the steel-reinforced beam as a reference, FRP bars were used in the same ratio and spacing in the FRP-reinforced beams. The beams were reinforced with steel rebar and aramid, basalt, glass, carbon FRP bars with sand-coated and ribbed surface characteristics. The effects of FRP bars and bar surfaces on the flexural strengths of the beams and their failure modes were examined through four-point flexural tests. According to the results obtained from the experimental study, the flexural strength of the FRP-reinforced beams nearly has matched that of the steel-reinforced beams. It has been observed that some FRP-reinforced beams with different fiber types and bar surface characteristics showed higher strengths than steel-reinforced beams. While all of the steel-reinforced beams failed only by flexure, the failure modes of the FRP-reinforced beams varied. The fiber type and bar surface characteristics have also influenced the failure modes of the beams.