• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.84 no.2
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• pp.253-268
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• 2022

Using non-destructive Acoustic Emission (AE) and optical Digital Image Correlation (DIC) methods, the moment-curvature behavior of steel and GFRP bars reinforced concrete beams under flexure was explored in this study. In the tension zone, laboratory studies were carried out on steel-RC and GFRP-RC beams with varying percentages of longitudinal reinforcement ratios of 0.33 %, 0.52%, and 1.11%. The distinct mechanism of cracking initiation and fracture progression of failure in steel-RC and GFRP-RC beams were effectively correlated and picked up using AE waveform characteristics of the number of AE hits and their amplitudes, AE energy as well as average frequency and duration. AE XY event plots and longitudinal strain profiles using DIC gives an online and real-time visual display of progressive AE activity and strains respectively to efficaciously depict the crack evolution and their advancement in steel-RC and GFRP-RC beams. They display a close matching with the micro and macro-cracks visually observed in the actual beams at various stages of loading.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.28 no.5A
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• pp.719-727
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• 2008

The tensile and bond performance of GFRP rebar are different from those of conventional steel reinforcement. It requires some studies on concrete members reinforced with GFRP reinforcing bars to apply it to concrete structures. GFRP has some advantages such as high specific strength, low weight, non-corrosive nature, and disadvantage of larger deflection due to the lower modulus of elasticity than that of steel. Bridge deck is a preferred structure to apply FRP rebars due to the increase of flexural capacity by arching action. This paper focuses on the behavior of concrete bridge deck reinforced with newly developed GFRP rebars. A total of three real size bridge deck specimens were made and tested. Main variables are the type of reinforcing bar and reinforcement ratio. Static test was performed with the load of DB-24 level until failure. Test results were compared and analyzed with ultimate load, deflection behavior, crack pattern and width.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2008.04a
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• pp.49-52
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• 2008

The tensile and bond performance of GFRP rebar are different from those of conventional steel reinforcement. It requires some studies on concrete members reinforced with GFRP reinforcing bars to apply it to concrete structures. GFRP has some advantages such as high specific strength, low weight, non-corrosive nature, and disadvantage of larger deflection due to the lower modulus of elasticity than that of steel. Bridge deck is a preferred structure to apply FRP rebars due to the increase of flexural capacity by arching action. This paper focuses on the behavior of concrete bridge deck reinforced with newly developed GFRP rebar. A total of three real size bridge deck specimens were made and tested. Main variable was reinforcement ratio of GFRP rebar. Static test was performed with the load of DB-24 level until failure. Test results were compared and analyzed with ultimate load, deflection behavior.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.271-285
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• 2014

This paper aims to examine the behavior of slender reinforced concrete columns confined with external glass fiber reinforced polymers (GFRP) sheets under eccentric loads. The experimental work conducted in this paper is an extension to previous work by the author concerning the behavior of eccentrically loaded short columns strengthened with GFRP wrapping. In this study, nine reinforced concrete columns divided into three groups were casted and tested. Three eccentricity ratios corresponding to e/t = 0, 0.10, and 0.50 in one direction of the column were tested in each group. The first group was the control one without confinement with slenderness ratio equal 20. The second group was the same as the first group but fully wrapped with one layer of GFRP laminates. The third group was also fully wrapped with one layer of GFRP laminates but having slenderness ratio equal 15. The experimental results of another two groups from the previous work were used in this study to investigate the difference between short and slender columns. The first was control one with slenderness ratio equal 10 and the second was fully wrapped and having the same slenderness ratio. All specimens were loaded until failure. The ultimate load, axial deformation, strain in steel bars, and failure mechanisms of each specimen were generated and analyzed. The results show that GFRP laminates confining system is less effective with slender columns compared with short one, but this solution is still applied and it can be efficiently utilized especially for slender columns with low eccentric ratio.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.369-382
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• 2020

This paper presents a discussion of the Finite Element Analysis (FEA) when applied for the analysis of concrete elements reinforced with glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars. The purpose of such nonlinear FEA model development is to create a tool that can be used for numerical parametric studies which can be used to extend the existing (and limited) experiment database. The presented research focuses on the numerical analyses of concrete beams reinforced with GFRP longitudinal and shear reinforcements. FEA of concrete members reinforced with linear elastic brittle reinforcements (like GFRP) presents unique challenges when compared to the analysis of members reinforced with plastic (steel) reinforcements, which are discussed in the paper. Specifically, the behaviour and failure of GFRP reinforced members are strongly influenced by the compressive response of concrete and thus modelling of concrete behaviour is essential for proper analysis. FEA was performed using the commercial software ABAQUS. A damaged-plasticity model was utilized to simulate the concrete behaviour. The influence of tension, compression, dilatancy, mesh, and reinforcement modelling was studied to replicate experimental test data of beams previously tested at the University of Waterloo, Canada. Recommendations for the finite element modelling of beams reinforced with GFRP longitudinal and shear reinforcements are offered. The knowledge gained from this research allows for the development of a rational methodology for modelling GFRP reinforced concrete beams, which subsequently can be used for extensive parametric studies and the formation of informed recommendations to design standards.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.41-55
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• 2015

In this paper, a model for the evaluation of shear strength of fibre reinforced polymer (FRP)-reinforced concrete beams is given. The survey of literature indicates that the FRP reinforced beams tested with shear span to depth ratio less than or equal to 1.0 is limited. In this study, eight concrete beams reinforced with GFRP rebars without stirrups are cast and tested over shear span to depth ratio of 0.5 and 1.75. The concrete compressive strength is varied from 40.6 to 65.3 MPa. The longitudinal reinforcement ratio is varied from 1.16 to 1.75. The experimental shear strength and load-deflection response of the beams are determined and reported in this paper. A model is proposed for the prediction of shear strength of beams reinforced with FRP bars. The proposed model accounts for compressive strength of concrete, modulus of FRP rebar, longitudinal reinforcement ratio, shear span to depth ratio and size effect of beams. The shear strength of FRP reinforced concrete beams predicted using the proposed model is found to be in better agreement with the corresponding test data when compared with the shear strength predicted using the eleven models published in the literature. Design example of FRP reinforced concrete beam is also given in the appendix.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.15 no.8
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• pp.5318-5326
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• 2014

This paper presents the results of flexural test of concrete beams reinforced with GFRP and conventional steel reinforcement for comparison. The beams were tested under a static load to examine the effects of the reinforcement ratio and compressive strength of concrete on cracking, deflection, ultimate capacity, and modes of failure. The test results showed that the ultimate capacity of the GFRP-reinforced beams increased with increasing reinforcement ratio and concrete strength, showing a 41.3~51.6% increase compared to steel reinforced beams. The deflections at maximum loads of the GFRP reinforced beams were 4.1~6.3 times higher that of steel reinforced beams. The measured deflections of GFRP reinforced beams decreased approximately 31% compared to the theoretical predictions because the theoretical flexural stiffness was underestimated at the maximum loads. For the GFRP-reinforced beams, the ACI code 440 design method resulted in conservative flexural strength estimates.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.593-610
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• 2016

In this study, an innovative and smart glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) hybrid bar was developed for stronger durability of concrete structures. As comparing with the conventional GFRP bar, the smart GFRP Hybrid bar can promise to enhance the modulus of elasticity so that it makes the cracking reduced than the case when the conventional GFRP bar is used. Besides, the GFRP Hybrid bar can effectively resist the corrosion of conventional steel bar by the GFRP outer surface on the steel bar. In order to verify the bond performance of the GFRP hybrid bar for structural reinforcement, uniaxial pull-out test was conducted. The variables were the bar diameter and the number of strands and pitch of the fiber ribs. Tensile tests showed a excellent increase in the modulus of elasticity, 152.1 GPa, as compared to that of the pure GFRP bar (50 GPa). The stress-strain curve was bi-linear, so that the ductile performance could be obtained. For the bond test, the entire GFRP hybrid bar test specimens failed in concrete splitting due to higher shear strength resulting in concrete crushing as a function of bar deformation. Investigation revealed that an increase in the number of strands of fiber ribs enhanced the bond strength, and the pitch guaranteed the bond strength of 19.1 mm diameter hybrid bar with 15.9 mm diameter of core section of deformed steel the ACI 440 1R-15 equation is regarded as more suitable for predicting the bond strength of GFRP hybrid bars, whereas the CSA S806-12 prediction is considered too conservative and is largely influenced by the bar diameter. For further study, various geometrical and material properties such as concrete cover, cross-sectional ratio, and surface treatment should be considered.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.77 no.5
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• pp.637-650
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• 2021

The paper presents an investigation of the widely varying mechanical performance and behaviour of steel and Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) reinforced concrete beams using non-destructive techniques of Acoustic Emission (AE) and Digital Image Correlation (DIC) under four-point bending. Laboratory experiments are performed on both differently reinforced concrete beams with 0.33%, 0.52% and 1.11% of tension reinforcement against balanced section. The results show that the ultimate load-carrying capacity increases with an increase in tensile reinforcement in both cases. In addition to that, AE waveform parameters of amplitude and number of AE hits successfully correlates and picks up the divergent mechanism of cracking initiation and progression of failure in steel reinforced and GFRP reinforced concrete beams. AE activity is about 20-30% more in GFRP-RC beams as compared to steel-RC beams. It was primarily due to the lower modulus of elasticity of GFRP bars leading to much larger ductility and deflections as compared to steel-RC beams. Furthermore, AE XY event plots and longitudinal strain profiles using DIC gives an online and real-time visual display of progressive AE activity and strains respectively to efficaciously depict the crack evolution and their advancement in steel-RC and GFRP-RC beams which show a close matching with the micro-and macro-cracks visually observed in the actual beams at various stages of loading.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.199-207
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• 2018

Experimental programs were performed to evaluate the flexural performance of fiber reinforced concrete(FRC) beams using a hybrid double-layer arrangement of steel bars and fiber reinforced polymer(FRP) bars or using FRP bars only. A total of seven beam specimens were produced with type of tensile reinforcing bar(CFRP bar, GFRP bar, steel bar) and the poly vinyl alcohol(PVA) fiber mixing ratio(0.5%, 0%) as variable. An analysis method for predicting the flexural behaviors of FRC beams with hybrid arrangement of heterogeneous reinforcing bars through finite element analysis was proposed and verified. In case of the specimens with the double-layer reinforcing bars, the test results showed that the first cracking load of specimen with a double-layer arrangement of steel bars was greater by 26-34% than specimens with a hybrid double-layer arrangement of steel and FRP bars. In maximum flexural strengths, the specimen that used CFRP bars as bottom tensile reinforcing bar showed the greatest strength among the specimens with the double-layer reinforcing bars. When the maximum moment value obtained through experiments was compared with that obtained through analysis, the ratio was 1.2 on average, the standard deviation was 0.085, and the maximum error rate was 22% or less. Based on these results, the finite element analysis model proposed in this study can effectively simulate the actual behavior of the beams with hybrid double-layer reinforcing bars.