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Procedia Engineering 177 (2017) 582 589

XXI International Polish-Slovak Conference Machine Modeling and Simulations 2016

Finite element analysis of cohesion between reinforced concrete

beam and polymer lamella reinforced by carbon fibers
Milan mindk*, Peter Pastorek
Department of Applied Mechanics, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of ilina, Univerzitn 1, 010 01 ilina, Slovak Rep.

Abstract

For analysis of bond between reinforced concrete beam and glued lamella reinforced by carbon fibers FEM was used in this
paper. First four-point flexural reinforced concrete beam with steel stiffener was analyzed and then effect of bonded lamella was
considered. Lamella was bonded using a high-strength epoxy glue in the milled slot at the bottom of the beam. The incremental
loading on top of the beam was applied. The analysis was performed in ANSYS Mechanical APDL and MSC MARC software.
Numerical results was compared with experimental results for deflection and von Mises stress for reinforced concrete beam with
bonded lamella and without her.
The results obtained show that the use of the composite lamella changes the distribution of stresses in the concrete and the steel
reinforcement. This is reflected in the reduction of maximum tensile stress in the concrete and the reinforcement of concrete.
2017
2017TheTheAuthors.
Authors. Published
Published by Elsevier
by Elsevier Ltd. Ltd.
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of MMS 2016.
Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of MMS 2016
Keywords: reinforced concrete beam; carbon fibers; finite element analysis; debonding;

1. Introduction

Engineering structures consume much more natural resources than any other industry. In the past decades, the use
of composites for strengthening and repairing concrete structures has gained significant importance in civil
engineering [1]. With increasing public awareness of the needs and requirements of sustainable development and
environmental protection increases the development and innovation of building materials. To effect was not now or
in the future, drastic, they must be not only the materials but also the production and use according to EU
standardisation and minimal environmental impact. The development trend of new construction materials is not
multiplied on-going new, but rather the improvement of the old.

* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: milan.zmindak@fstroj.uniza.sk

1877-7058 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of MMS 2016
doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2017.02.264
 Milan mindk and Peter Pastorek / Procedia Engineering 177 (2017) 582 589 583

The load-carrying capacity of the steel-reinforced concrete was increased applying fiber reinforced polymer
(FRP) sheets to transverse and longitudinal beams. Typically, the composite system consists of thin strips (lamella)
with thick less than 2 mm of various widths. For flexural strengthening, carbon FRP composite was attached tom
the bottom of the beam with fibers oriented along the length of the beam (Fig. 1 and Fig.2). Also, FRP strips are
used in reinforced concrete (RC) columns to reduce the lateral deformability of the section, improving the strength
of concrete material by confinement [2]. The toughening mechanism between FRP-reinforcing lamella and concrete
is one of most critical aspects affecting the structural behavior of the concrete structures [3]. In addition to the
outstanding mechanical strength properties and composite materials have absolute corrosion resistance (even in
aggressive environments), UV and excellent thermal insulation properties.
The aim of this work was to create simulation model for analysis of four-point flexural reinforced concrete beam
reinforcement by FRP lamella and compare numerical results with experimental results.

Fig.1. Lamella before bonding in the groove. Fig.2. Milled groove for lamella.

2. Experimental results

Four-point bending test were conducted on the FRP-reinforced concrete beams to the study the bond-slip
behaviour between the FRP lamella and the concrete. Five specimens of T-beam were made-up from the concrete
class of C35/45 with reinforcement 3 12 mm, steel B500 B. All tested beams are designed as simple supported
elements.

Fig. 3. Beam in laboratory during the testing [4].

584 Milan mindk and Peter Pastorek / Procedia Engineering 177 (2017) 582 589

Some details of the T-beam are described in [4] and Fig. 1 shown beam was tested under monotonic static load
with increasing steps. The first visible crack has been occurred near the middle of the span at the value of load
force Fcr = 23 kN. Other cracks on the tested beam were recorded symmetrically along the span. Failure of the beam
has occurred at the level of load force Fu = 110 kN. The maximum width of the crack was 1.2 mm.

3. Finite element modeling

The finite element method (FEM) is the dominant discretization technique in civil and construction, energy,
consumer goods, manufacturing technology, such as induction heating, welding processes [5-9], etc. FEM
commercial codes offers a comprehensive set of solution capabilities for solving linear or highly nonlinear,
static/dynamic, implicit/explicit structural problems which may include large deformations/strains, severe material
nonlinearities and contact conditions.
In this paper the FE code MSC MARC was used for static nonlinear analysis to obtain stress state of all parts and
risk assessment of debonding between concrete and epoxy glue and between epoxy glue and lamella. Two models
have been created in this paper.
First, four-point bending of reinforced concrete beam without the strength lamella was analysed. By taking
advantage of the symmetry of the beams, a quarter of the full beam was used for modelling. At the plane of
symmetry, the displacement in the direction perpendicular to the plane was held at zero. This approach reduced
computational time and computer disk space requirements significantly. The contact load on beam and contact of
support with the beam is realized by rotating couples. For beam bending the rotation degrees of freedom (DOF) are
allowed to avoid the stress concentrations at these couples. To avoid direct contact of couples with beam into the
contact points rubber plate was inserted. The area representing half profile T - beam is divided into smaller parts,
which boundary lines will be used to create mesh from link / beam elements for reinforcing steel structure. The test
beam was loaded four-point bending with total load force 110 kN (Fig.4).
In nonlinear analysis, the total load applied to a finite element model is divided into a series of load increments
called load steps. Then the solution of nonlinear problems is obtained by incrementing the loads in each time step.

Fig.4. Four-point bending test.

Secondly is analysed concrete beam with lamella. An eight-node solid element, Element 7 was used to model the
concrete and Element 98 was used to model the steel reinforcement (Fig.5). The dimensions of the full-size beams
are 3600 mm x 350 mm x 400 mm and the span between the supports was 3310 mm (Fig.4). Moreover, the lower
part of the beam in the cover layer milled slot with widths 4 mm to a depth of 20 mm in length 3000 mm
symmetrically about a transverse plane of symmetry of the beam.
 Milan mindk and Peter Pastorek / Procedia Engineering 177 (2017) 582 589 585

Fig. 5. FE model.

3.1. Material properties

Development of a model for behaviour of concrete is a challenging task. Was used concrete according norm STN
EN 206 - 1 - C35/45 C10,04 - Dmax 16 S3. For this concrete following data was used:

x Elastic modulus E = 34 GPa,

x Ductility stated by the manufacturer cu = 0.035,
x Poisson`s number = 0.2.
x Density = 2400 kg.m-3.

Reinforcement concrete beam consists of a main steel reinforcement and stirrups. They are made from steel
B500B marked (according to EN 10027). For FE analysis structural steel is sonsidered as linear elastic isotropic
isotropic model. The following material properties was used:

x Yield strength Re = 500MPa,

x Tensile strength Rm = 550MPa,
x Elastic modulus E = 200GPa,
x Ductility = 0.005,
x Poisson`s number = 0,3.

For gluing FRP lamella in the groove (Fig.2) of the reinforced concrete beam was used high-strength two-
component epoxy glue with a high glass transition temperature for system MBRACE. The following data was used:

x Bending elastic modulus Ebend = 4263MPa,

x Tensile strength Rm = 73MPa,
x Shear strength > 12MPa,
x Bond strength > 14MPa,
x Glass transition temperature 40.

FRP composites are materials that consistent of two constituents. I our case the reinforcing material is in the form
carbon fibers, which are typically stiffer and stronger than the matrix. In general, composites reinforced with parallel
fibers display orthotropic material properties at mesoscale (lamina level). In special cases, such as the hexagonal
586 Milan mindk and Peter Pastorek / Procedia Engineering 177 (2017) 582 589

array, the properties become transversely isotropic. Analysis of such microstructure directly yields a transversely
isotropic stiffness tensor. Once the components of the transversely isotropic tensor C are known, the six elastic
properties of the homogenized materials by the classical relations from elasticity theory. Numerical homogenization
of a composite lamella is performed by linking MATLAB and ANSYS software [10]. Homogenization were done
for fiber volume fractions vf from the interval <0.2, 0.6>. The entire process is automated requires just entering a
type of fibers, their arrangement and the step increment volume fraction. A summary of homogenized elastic
material properties used for the modelling CRFP lamella is shown Table 1 for vf =0.6, where the indices h and s
denote hexagonal array and square array, respectively. For FEM simulation was used carbon fibres with an
industrial label M40J and with hexagonal array.

Table 1. Calculated elastic properties of the composite with vf =0.6.

vf = 0.6 M40J
h s
E1 [GPa] 227.58 227.58
E2 [GPa] 12.831 16.71
G12 [GPa] 5.15 5.53
G23 [GPa] 4.737 6.967
v12 0.320 0.321
v23 0.354 0.199

3.2. Cohesive zone model

The analysis of fracture development has changed considerably in the last few decades. Instead of traditional
approaches of fracture mechanics, various predictive schemes such as cohesive zone models (CZMs) or traction-
separation models are now increasingly being used, especially in numerical simulations [11]. CZMs are established
as relatively simple methods, which are easier to implement in finite-element (FE) codes. The interface surfaces of
both materials can be represented by a special set of interface elements or contact elements. The constitutive
behavior of these elements is expressed in terms of tractions versus relative displacements between the top and
bottom edge/surface of the elements. The CZM model was used to characterize the constitutive behavior of the
interface [12]. The results for contact elements are available for debonding, normal contact stress, tangential contact
stress, etc.

4. Results and discussion

First, in this chapter compare results from the MSC MARC finite element software with experimental results.
Fig.5 and Fig 6 shows the distribution of displacement and von Mises stress in RC beam under 110 kN load. The
maximum von Mises stress is about 23 MPa in places where the load is applied and the places where are supports.

Fig.6. Distribution of displacement in RC beam.

 Milan mindk and Peter Pastorek / Procedia Engineering 177 (2017) 582 589 587

Fig.7. Distribution of von Misesses stress in RC beam.

Fig. 8 The plot of displacement versus loading force. Fig. 9. The plot of von Mises stress versus loading force.

Fig.8 and Fig.9 shows the plots of displacement and von Mises stress versus loading force. In the linear range, the
displacements calculated by the MSC MARC are nearly the same as those measured in the actual beams. However,
after cracking of the concrete, an inconsistency occurs in the results of the finite element analysis and the
experimental data. Of course, in general, there is some numerical error in the stress calculation as a consequence of
the numerical approximations used in the stress evaluation [13].
Next we will evaluate bond between reinforced concrete beam and FRP lamella using ANSYS and MSC Marc
software. At first calculate debonding parameter DPARAM in ANSYS. This parameter has a value from 0 to 1, the
value 1 corresponds to total separation of surfaces and 0 is total adhesion. Parameter DTSTARI is time step when
the adhesion failure. From Fig. 10 we can see that the values DPARAMJ and DPARAMI that indicate the
probability of loss of adhesion of glue and lamella. The maximum value is 0.94, representing a 94% probability of
loss of adhesion. This should be happen in the last ninth load step in the red region at Fig.10.
In a contact analysis in MSC MARC, a distinction is made between touching and glue conditions. Glue condition
supress all relative motions between bodies through tyings or boundary conditions applying them to all displacement
DOF of the nodes in contact. The activation of the glue conditions and their type is controlled by appropriate setting
via the CONTACT TABLE input [14]. An important option related to glued contact is the DEACT GLUE option.
The glue deactivation status (value 0 or 1) shows if a node is whether or not in glued contact.
The glue deactivation status between the epoxy and reinforced concrete is shown in Fig. 11. We can see that the
loss of adhesion between the epoxy adhesive and reinforced concrete beam occurs mainly in place under the action
588 Milan mindk and Peter Pastorek / Procedia Engineering 177 (2017) 582 589

imposed on the force. The maximum calculated value was 0.959 and was achieved in the last load step. This value
represents almost 96% probability of failure connection between the epoxy adhesive and reinforced concrete beams.
Finally we, we calculate Delamination index (DI) between the epoxy glue and composite lamella. The first has a
nodal post quantity labelled DI (Normal), the second is called DI (Tangential) and sum is DI. The DELAMIN model
definition option allows the specification of mesh splitting between regions and with a region using stress criterion
[14]. An option is available in the DELAMINATION option for inserting interface element using a cohesive zone
material model where the mesh is split. The cohesive material properties of the interface elements must be defined
in the model.
We note, that the option is supported for lower-and higher-order 2-D solid, shell and 3-D solid elements. Fig. 12
shows that for increasing load of reinforced concrete beam, delamination of lamella occurs in place of load and
subsequently delamination occurs at the end lamella. The maximum calculated value was 0.965 in the last load step.
This represents a nearly 97% probability of delamination in these places.

Fig. 10. The probability of adhesion loss of glue and loading step.

Fig. 11. Glue deactivation status between epoxide glue and beam.
 Milan mindk and Peter Pastorek / Procedia Engineering 177 (2017) 582 589 589

Fig. 12. Distribution of DI between epoxide glue and composite lamela.

5. Conclusions

The results obtained show that the use of the composite lamella changes the distribution of stresses in the
concrete and the steel reinforcement. This is reflected in the reduction of maximum tensile stress in the concrete and
the reinforcement of concrete, and in the case of pressure increase in the maximum stress, which is favorable for the
concrete. The maximum deflection values in both cases are very similar. From the results it is clear that the adhesion
between the concrete and the lamina is very good, but delamination occurs in the concrete. The maximum value is
about 0.94, representing a 94% probability of loss of adhesion. The maximum calculated value DI in MSC MARC
was 0.965 in the last load step. This represents a nearly 97% probability of delamination in these places. Also was
observed change of the shape and size of cracks in concrete.
Acknowledgement
The authors gratefully acknowledge for support the Slovak and Technology Assistance Agency register under
number APVV-0736-12 and Slovak Grant Agency VEGA 1/0983/15.

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