Computational model for reinforced concrete beams strengthened by epoxy bonded steel plates

This paper presents a nonlinear finite element model for the flexure-shear response of reinforced concrete (RC) beams strengthened externally by epoxy bonded steel plates. The model includes a special interface element to simulate the thin epoxy adhesive layer and which allows for the metamorphosis of failure mode from plate yielding to separation as the plate thickness t_p is increased. The numerical results show close correlation to experimental data available for an RC beam strengthened by plates of various thickness.     

Moment redistribution in continuous reinforced concrete beams strengthened with carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer laminates

The results of tests on continuous steel-fiber-reinforced concrete (RC) beams, with and without an external strengthening, are presented. The internal flexural steel reinforcement was designed so that to allow steel yielding before the collapse of the beams. To prevent the shear failure, steel stirrups were used. The tests also included two nonstrengthened control beams; the other specimens were strengthened with different configurations of externally bonded carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates. In order to prevent the premature failure from delamination of the CFRP strengthening, a wrapping was also applied. The experimental results obtained show that it is possible to achieve a sufficient degree of moment redistribution if the strengthening configuration is chosen properly, confirming the results provided by two simple numerical models. Russian translation published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 43, No. 5, pp. 667–686, September–October, 2007.     

An analysis of the joint operation of a CFRP concrete in flexural elements

The strength and fracture mechanism of the contact zone between a carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) and concrete in flexural structural elements is investigated. Two methods for calculating the shear force in the contact zone are considered, one of which takes into account the compliance of the zone and gives results agreeing rather well with experimental data for beams, regardless of the way the CFRP is fastened to concrete. The method of shear stresses is good for beams with in significant shear strains between CFRP and concrete. A method allowing for hardening of the contact zone is suggested. It is shown that the fracture mechanism of the zone depends on the way of fastening the CFRP and the depth the adhesive penetrates into concrete. __________ Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 43, No. 5, pp. 687–700, September–October, 2007.     

An experimentally based analytical model for the shear capacity of FRP-strengthened reinforced concrete beams

This paper deals with the shear strengthening of Reinforced Concrete (RC) flexural members with externally bonded Fiber-Reinforced Polymers (FRPs). The interaction between an external FRP and an internal transverse steel reinforcement is not considered in actual code recommendations, but it strongly influences the efficiency of the shear strengthening rehabilitation technique and, as a consequence, the computation of interacting contributions to the nominal shear strength of beams. This circumstance is also discussed on the basis of the results of an experimental investigation of rectangular RC beams strengthened in shear with “U-jacketed” carbon FRP sheets. Based on experimental results of the present and other investigations, a new analytical model for describing the shear capacity of RC beams strengthened according to the most common schemes (side-bonded and “U-jacketed”), taking into account the interaction between steel and FRP shear strength contributions, is proposed. Russian translation published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 44, No. 3, pp. 339–356, May–June, 2008.     

CFRP修复缺陷钢板应力解析模型

在使用碳纤维复合材料(carbon fiber reinforced polymer, CFRP)修复钢结构腐蚀缺陷的修复方式中,CFRP应力及胶层应力是确定碳纤维修复结构承载能力的关键。基于平截面假设,得到弯矩作用下应力与应变分布;基于胶层剪切模型,得到胶层剪应力与CFRP和钢板位移间的关系;基于力的平衡,得到CFRP和钢板的应力关系。结合得到的各种材料之间关系,推导出轴力和弯矩联合作用状态下CFRP双面修复钢板的CFRP与胶层应力分布解析解。采用数值分析对CFRP双侧粘贴修复缺陷钢板进行分析,分析结果与解析结果具有一致性,同时获得了CFRP双侧粘贴修复缺陷钢板的应力分布特点,以及构件可能发生破坏的位置,为计算构件极限承载力提供了基础。     

Experimental Study on the Flexural Ductility of BFRP Bar Concrete Beams With Bamboo Fiber and Steel Wire Mesh北大核心CSCD

To study the effects of bamboo fiber and steel wire mesh on the flexural ductility of basalt fiber reinforced polymer（BFRP）bar concrete beams, 7 BFRP bar concrete beams with bamboo fiber and steel wire mesh were tested with different bamboo fiber lengths (0 mm, 30 mm and 45 mm) and different steel wire mesh layout ranges (0, 1/2 maximum bending moment point layout and full beam length layout). The flexural failure tests of the 7 beams were carried out, and the initial crack loads, the crack developments, the ultimate loads and the deformations were detected. The effects of the fiber length and the wire mesh layout range on the crack resistance and the deformation resistance of the specimens were analyzed based on the test data. With the function model, the equivalent yield points of the 7 test beams were obtained, and their ductility coefficients were calculated. The results show that, the addition of bamboo fiber and steel wire mesh increases the cracking loads of BFRP bar concrete beams by 12%~68%, decreases the crack spacings and the crack length development speed, reduces the test beam deformation under the same load, and increases the ductility coefficient by 1.58%~31.75%. © 2023 Editorial Office of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics. All rights reserved.     

Behavior of Adhesively Bonded Concrete-CFRP Joints at Low and High Temperatures

This paper presents an evaluation of the results obtained from an initial study carried out at the IBMB, Technical University of Braunschweig, on the influence of temperature on adhesively bonded plate-concrete joint systems. The results of a theoretical model are also presented. The type of specimen used in this study is a three-point bending beam. The concrete specimens were prismatic in form, 100 × 100 × 700 mm without an internal steel reinforcement, strengthened at the intradoss with two types of UD CFRP lamina 20 mm wide and 590 mm long of thickness 1.4 mm for the E = 300 GPa type and 1.24 mm for the E = 175 GPa type. The plate-bonded specimens were designed to produce bending failure under a load, by not bonding the lamina and the concrete around the midspan of the specimens. The specimens were tested to failure at –100°, –30°, and +40°C after an approximately homogeneous temperature distribution within the concrete specimen has been reached. For comparison only, specimens of the same type were tested to failure at room temperature. The results obtained showed varying behavior of the bonded plate-concrete joint depending on variations in temperature. Furthermore, they showed different failure mechanisms. Greater reductions in the ultimate bond force were recorded for the test specimens strengthened with lamina having a high elastic modulus. A reasonable correlation was found between the experimental and theoretical results.     

Stability analysis of CFRP-wrapped concrete columns strengthened with external longitudinal CFRP sheets

The external confinement by CFRP wrappings is a very efficient method to increase the load-carrying capacity of round concrete columns. Nevertheless, the serviceability of such columns under loads exceeding the strength of unconfined concrete is limited by different factors. One of them is the reduced stability of the columns due to the significantly reduced tangent elastic modulus inactive loading. To increase the critical load of buckling instability of concrete columns, an additional longitudinal composite reinforcement can be used. In this paper, the stability and strength of concrete columns confined by circumferential wrappings and strengthened with a longitudinal external CFRP reinforcement are studied. Plain and confined columns of length 300 and 1500 mm were tested. Theoretical predictions show that the additional longitudinal reinforcement is efficient in improving the stability of confined columns in the region of moderate slenderness. The prediction for the ultimate strength and stability of the columns coincides rather well with experimental results. __________ Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 44, No. 3, pp. 295–308, May–June, 2005.     

HB-FRP加固混凝土结构的粘结滑移统一模型

为了进一步简化HB-FRP(hybrid bonding FRP)加固技术的粘结滑移模型, 并基于先期研究的HB-FRP粘结滑移分区模型开展研究.在假定HB-FRP加固技术的粘结滑移统一模型表达式的基础上,推导了钢扣件部位的粘结应力分布系数.将HB-FRP加固作用分为普通FRP粘结性能和钢扣件产生的粘结性能两部分,依据能量方法,推导了FRP张拉力与滑移量的表达式.基于理论分析和数值求解,研究了界面滑移量的分布特征.基于模型试验测试结果,研究了粘结滑移统一模型中的待定系数表达式.研究结果表明:建立的HB-FRP加固混凝土结构的粘结滑移统一模型能有效预测加固界面的剥离承载力及有效粘结长度.     

Modeling of the Behavior of Concrete Tension Members Reinforced with FRP Rods

The paper is devoted to the analysis of cracking and deformability of concrete tension members reinforced with fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) rods. A theoretical nonlinear model, derived from a cracking analysis founded on slip and bond stresses, is adopted for evaluating the crack width, crack spacing, and elongation of tension members. The procedure takes into account the local bond-slip law, experimentally determined by means of pullout tests, and allows us to evaluate the influence of tensile stiffening. The analysis is performed with considering all parameters influencing the behavior of tension members, such as the concrete strength, the kind of FRP rebars, the surface treatment of FRP rebars, and the concrete cover thickness. The theoretical predictions are compared with available experimental results, obtained on cylindrical concrete specimens reinforced with carbon FRP (CFRP) rods, and with predictions of the traditional models usually adopted for design purposes.     

Dynamic assessment of reinforced concrete beams repaired with externally bonded FRP sheets

This research deals with RC beams strengthened with FRP. An experimental research is presented which is aimed at evaluating the capability of an experimental modal analysis to assess the stiffness decrease due to damage, as well as the stiffness recovery due to strengthening. Ten beams were tested. All of them were subjected to loading cycles with increasing load levels in order to induce cracking of different severity in them. The beams were then retrofitted by externally bonded FRP sheets. Three types of composites were used. The number of layers was varied, too. Modal tests were carried out after each loading-unloading cycle. The modal frequencies and damping ratios were determined for the first four vibration modes. The results obtained indicate that an experimental modal analysis can give useful information on the severity of damage and the effectiveness of strengthening. Russian translation published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 42, No. 1, pp. 3–20, January–February, 2006.     

FRP-strengthened reinforced concrete beams: a review and the assessment of cracking and deflection models

A review of some cracking and deflection models used for a structural analysis of FRP-strengthened reinforced concrete beams is presented, and, with reference to short-term deflections, a comparison between model predictions and experimental results is made. By using predictions provided by a nonlinear model derived from a cracking analysis, founded on slip and bond stresses, and experimental results for 63 FRP-strengthened beams, a modification of the well-known semi-empirical Branson’s formula to compute beam deflections is proposed. Finally, the efficiency of the modification is evaluated by comparison with experimental results.     

Anchorage strength models for end-debonding predictions in RC beams strengthened with FRP composites

The increase in the flexural capacity of RC beams obtained by externally bonding FRP composites to their tension side is often limited by the premature and brittle debonding of the external reinforcement. An in-depth understanding of this complex failure mechanism, however, has not yet been achieved. With specific regard to end-debonding failure modes, extensive experimental observations reported in the literature highlight the important distinction, often neglected in strength models proposed by researchers, between the peel-off and rip-off end-debonding types of failure. The peel-off failure is generally characterized by a failure plane located within the first few millimetres of the concrete cover, whilst the rip-off failure penetrates deeper into the concrete cover and propagates along the tensile steel reinforcement. A new rip-off strength model is described in this paper. The model proposed is based on the Chen and Teng peel-off model and relies upon additional theoretical considerations. The influence of the amount of the internal tensile steel reinforcement and the effective anchorage length of FRP are considered and discussed. The validity of the new model is analyzed further through comparisons with test results, findings of a numerical investigation, and a parametric study. The new rip-off strength model is assessed against a database comprising results from 62 beams tested by various researchers and is shown to yield less conservative results. Russian translation published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 44, No. 3, pp. 373–388, May–June, 2008.     

Strengthening of RC beams with an innovative timber-FRP composite system

The results of a theoretical and experimental research project on the use of an innovative technique for strengthening concrete beams are presented. A spacer element is inserted between the tension side of a beam and the composite material to increase its lever arm and to enhance the over all stiffness of the strengthened beam. The main aim of this exploratory project was to increase the ultimate failure load of strengthened beam specimens, whilst guaranteeing acceptable over all deflections at the serviceability limit states. This resulted into a significant reduction in the amount of FPR required and in a better utilization of the materials employed. A preliminary theoretical study was carried out to investigate the effect of Young’s modulus, failure strain, and thickness of the element to be used as a spacer in order to determine the best possible candidate material. Three tests on 2.5-m-long beams were carried out, and different anchorage techniques were used to try and prevent the debonding of the strengthening system. The results from this pilot study are very promising, as the strengthening system ensures an adequate initial stiffness along with an improved ultimate flexural capacity. Russian translation published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 44, No. 3, pp. 403–416, May–June, 2008.     

A model for predicting the shear bearing capacity of FRP-strengthened beams

The shear failure of reinforced concrete beams needs more attention than the bending failure since no or only small warning precedes the failure. For this reason, it is of utmost importance to understand the shear bearing capacity and also to be able to undertake significant rehabilitation work if necessary. In this paper, a design model for the shear strengthening of concrete beams by using fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP) is presented, and the limitations of the truss model analogy are highlighted. The fracture mechanics approach is used in analyzing the bond behavior between the FRP composites and concrete. The fracture energy of concrete and the axial rigidity of the FRP are considered to be the most important parameters. The effective strain in the FRP when the debonding occurs is determined. The limitations of the anchorage length over the cross section are analyzed. A simple iterative design method for the shear debonding is finally proposed. Russian translation published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 44, No. 3, pp. 357–372, May–June, 2008.     

An analytical study on the bond behaviour between an externally bonded FRP and concrete in the case of continuous beams

One of the greatest challenges in structural engineering nowadays is the strengthening, upgrading, and retrofitting of existing structures. The use of fibre-reinforced polymers (FRPs) bonded to the tension face of a structural member is an attractive technique in this field of application. The strengthening of reinforced concrete structures by means of an externally bonded reinforcement (EBR) is achieved by gluing a FRP laminate to the concrete substrate. For an efficient utilization of the FRP EBR systems, an effective stress transfer is required between the FRP and concrete. The paper discusses the bond behaviour between a FRP and concrete in the case of flexural strengthening of continuous beams. With respect to this type of beams, only a few studies have been reported, though continuous members often occur in concrete constructions. The structural behaviour of statically indeterminate elements is typically characterized by redistributions of the internal forces. These distributions are related to the nonlinear deformations of the beams and has also a distinct influence on the bond behaviour between the FRP and concrete. Russian translation published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 44, No. 3, pp. 389–402, May–June, 2008.     

Bond of FRP Reinforcement in Concrete - a Challenge

The bond of ordinary steel reinforcement in concrete depends on many factors, such as the pullout resistance, the geometry of a concrete member, the placement of a bar in the member cross section, the cover splitting, the confinement caused by concrete and the surrounding reinforcement, the order of bond-crack appearance, and the bond-stress distribution along the bond length. The bond of FRP reinforcement depends on even a greater number of factors. Moreover, the types of FRP bars are numerous. Their surface is weaker than that of steel bars and may fracture by bond forces. The surface of FRP bars is softer and does not create as high local stress concentrations in bond contact points to concrete as the harder steel bars do. This fact often delays the appearance of cover splitting cracks along the bars. However, the load necessary for developing the crack pattern of ultimate splitting failure in concrete is then very dependent on whether the bar surface is glossy or rough. The FRP reinforcement can also be used for external shear and/or flexural strengthening of existing members. For this application, FRP bars are placed in grooves cut on the surface of the member to be strengthened and are fixed there with a cement mortar or epoxy paste. In such an application, the performance of bond between the FRP rod and the mortar or resin and then between the mortar or resin and concrete is critical for the effectiveness of the technique. The presence of two interfaces increases the number of parameters needed to characterize the global joint behavior and introduces new possible failure modes. The fundament for the bond resistance estimation should be an accepted bond philosophy linked to appropriate models. A system of bond tests should provide necessary coefficients for the models.     

Optimization of the static and dynamic characteristics of plates with isogrid stiffeners

In this paper, the orientation angles of stiffeners arranged in the form of isogrid configuration over a flat plate are selected to optimize the static and dynamic characteristics of these plates/stiffeners assemblies. The static characteristics are optimized by maximizing the critical buckling loads of the isogrid plate, while the dynamic characteristics are optimized by maximizing multiple natural frequencies of the stiffened plate.

A finite element model is developed to describe the statics and dynamics of Mindlin plates which are stiffened with arbitrarily oriented stiffeners. The model is used as a basis for optimizing separately or simultaneously the critical buckling loads and natural frequencies of the plates per unit volume of the plates/stiffeners assemblies.

Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the utility of the developed model and optimization procedures. The presented approach can be invaluable in the design of plates with isogrid stiffeners for various vibration and noise control applications.     

An accurate method to predict the stress concentration in composite laminates with a circular hole under tensile loading

The paper presents a theoretical-numerical hybrid method for determining the stresses distribution in composite laminates containing a circular hole and subjected to uniaxial tensile loading. The method is based upon an appropriate corrective function allowing a simple and rapid evaluation of stress distributions in a generic plate of finite width with a hole based on the theoretical stresses distribution in an infinite plate with the same hole geometry and material. In order to verify the accuracy of the method proposed, various numerical and experimental tests have been performed by considering different laminate lay-ups; in particular, the experimental results have shown that a combined use of the method proposed and the well-know point-stress criterion leads to reliable strength predictions for GFRP or CFRP laminates with a circular hole. Russian translation published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 43, No. 4, pp. 531–570, July–August, 2007.     

Contact problems for beams and plates with low shear stiffness

The low shear stiffness and strength of unidirectionally reinforced plates and beams predetermines the choice of calculation model in specific problems [4]. The contact problem is considered for a glass-reinforced plastic plate resting on a Winkler foundation; the deformation properties of the plate are described by the equations of an orthotropic material; the investigation is based on generalized applied theories of the Timoshenko and Ambartsumyan types [5–8], which permit the high shear compliance of thin-walled structures to be taken into account.L'vov Polytechnic Institute; Ivan Franko Institute of Petroleum and Gas. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 4, pp. 715–720, July–August, 1970.