Fatigue Behavior of GFRP Reinforcing Bars in Air and in Concrete
Publication: Journal of Composites for Construction
Volume 18, Issue 5
Abstract
Although the use of glass fiber–reinforced polymer (GFRP) reinforcing bars is gaining acceptance as an alternative to conventional steel reinforcement in concrete structures, little empirical data exist on the long-term fatigue performance of GFRP bars in concrete. Abrasion at the bar–concrete interface is known to have an adverse effect on bonds and on the overall member response under cyclic loading, although this effect was not adequately quantified until now. This paper presents the results of an experimental study comparing the fatigue performance of GFRP bars in air with the behavior of similar bars embedded in concrete. The experimental findings showed that the GFRP bars tested in air survived fatigue lives that were approximately a full order of magnitude longer than similar bars in concrete beams. The results were used to calibrate a statistical fatigue life model and a residual stiffness model for GFRP bars in reinforced concrete flexural members.
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Acknowledgments
Financial support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada is gratefully acknowledged.
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© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Sep 27, 2013
Accepted: Dec 26, 2013
Published online: Feb 5, 2014
Discussion open until: Jul 5, 2014
Published in print: Oct 1, 2014
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