Behavior of concrete slabs reinforced with FRP bars, design and analysis

In this study, in order to ensure the accuracy of numerical simulations, the numerical ۳D simulation of a one-way concrete slab reinforced with tensile fiber-reinforced polymer(FRP) rebars was performed using the finite element Abaqus software. Moreover, the effects of the type of FRP rebars including carbon fiber-reinforced polymer(CFRP) or glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP), as well as their amount (depending on the number and diameter of FRP rebars), were evaluated on the vertical load-bearing capacity of the middle of concrete slabs. Moreover, with the ۳D numerical simulation of the slab reinforced with tensile and compressive FRP rebars, the effect of using them simultaneously (compared to the use of only FRP rebars) was investigated onthe vertical load-bearing capacity at the middle of the slab with respect to the compressive strength of the slab’s concrete. Eventually, the slab was numerically simulated reinforced with tensile steel and FRP rebars to study the effect of combining them, compared to the use of only FRP rebars,onthe load-bearing capacity at the middle of the slab. The obtained results revealed that the vertical load-bearing capacity of the slab reinforced with tensile CFRP rebars was much higher than that of the one reinforced with tensile GFRP rebars. Moreover, the vertical load-bearing capacity of the concrete slab reinforced with tensile FRP rebars increased with the number and diameter of the tensile FRP rebars. On the other hand, the reduction in the compressive strength of the one-way concrete slab decreased the load-bearing capacity of the concrete slab reinforced with FRP rebars. The simultaneous use of tensile and compressive FRP rebars had no significant effect on increasing the load-bearing capacity of the concrete slabs, especially those with high compressive strengths. Meanwhile, the combination of the tensile steel and FRP rebars increased the vertical load-bearing capacity of the slab.

Keywords:

Reinforced concrete slab , FRP rebars , the vertical load-bearing capacity of the slab , finite element method , Abaqus software