A Study of the Shear Behavior of Concrete Beams with Synthetic Fibers Reinforced with Glass and Basalt Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Bars

The use of synthetic materials with high corrosion resistance in a concrete matrix yields structures that are more durable and suitable for use in aggressive environments, eliminating the need for frequent maintenance. Examples of such materials include glass (GFRP) and basalt (BFRP) fiber-reinforced polymer bars (FRP). Due to the low modulus of elasticity of these bars, concrete elements reinforced with FRP longitudinal rebars tend to exhibit cracks with wider openings and greater depths compared to those reinforced with steel rebars, which diminishes the element’s shear resistance. The addition of discontinuous fibers into the concrete aims to maintain stress transfer across the cracks, thereby enhancing the shear capacity and ductility of FRP-reinforced structures. This study evaluates the impact of fiber addition on the shear resistance of concrete beams reinforced with FRP rebars. An experimental investigation was conducted, focusing on the partial and complete substitution of stirrups with polypropylene macro fibers in concrete beams reinforced with FRP longitudinal rebars and stirrups. This research examined beams reinforced with glass (GFRP) and basalt (BFRP) fiber-reinforced polymer bars. For the initial set of beams, all stirrups were replaced with synthetic macro fibers. In the subsequent set, macro fibers were added to beams with insufficient stirrups. Although the complete replacement of GFRP and BFRP stirrups with polypropylene macro fibers did not alter the brittle shear failure mode, it did enhance the shear resistance capacity by 78.5% for GFRP-reinforced beams and 60.4% for BFRP-reinforced beams. Furthermore, the addition of macro fibers to beams with insufficient stirrups, characterized by excessive spacing, changed the failure mode from brittle shear to pseudo-ductile flexural failure due to concrete crushing. In such instances, the failure load increased by 18.8% for beams with GFRP bars and 22.8% for beams with BFRP bars.

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