Tests of Continuous Concrete Slabs Reinforced with Basalt Fiber-Reinforced Plastic Bars

Abstract

This paper presents experimental results of three continuously supported concrete slabs reinforced with basalt-fibre-reinforced polymer (BFRP) bars. Three different BFRP reinforcement combinations of over and under reinforcement ratios were applied at the top and bottom layers of continuous concrete slabs tested. One additional concrete continuous slab reinforced with steel bars and two simply supported slabs reinforced with under and over BFRP reinforcements were also tested for comparison purposes. All slabs sections tested had the same width and depth but different amounts of BFRP reinforcement. The experimental results were used to validate the existing design guidance for the predictions of moment and shear capacities, and deflections of continuous concrete elements reinforced with BFRP bars. The continuously supported BFRP reinforced concrete slabs illustrated wider cracks and larger deflections than the control steel reinforced concrete slab. All continuous BFRP reinforced concrete slabs exhibited a combined shear-flexure failure mode. ACI 440-1R-15 equations give reasonable predictions for the deflections of continuous slabs (after first cracking) but stiffer behaviour for the simply supported slabs, whereas CNR DT203 reasonably predicted the deflections of all BFRP slabs tested. On the other hand, ISIS-M03-07 provided the most accurate shear capacity prediction for continuously supported BFRP reinforced concrete slabs among the current shear design equations.

Experimental study on compressive behavior and failure analysis of composite concrete confined by glass/epoxy ±55° filament wound pipes

“…Fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites have been widely used as internal and external reinforcements to concrete structures, for example as reinforcement in beams or slabs [21][22][23]. Nowadays, composite FRP piles have been an innovative solution for composite columns.…”

Punching Shear Behavior of Fibrous High Strength Concrete Slabs Reinforced with BFRP Bars

“…In addition, greater reinforcement ratios result in better punching-shear capabilities, reduced reinforcement strains, and smaller slab deflections [16,17]. There have only been a few investigations on the flexural behavior of continuous flat slabs reinforced with BFRP bars [18,19]. Their findings reveal a mixed shear-flexural failure pattern in continuous BFRP-reinforced concrete flat slabs.…”