FIBRE REINFORCED POLYMER BARS

Areas where there is limited knowledge of the performance of FRP reinforcement include fire resistance,
durability in outdoor or severe exposure conditions, bond fatigue, and bond lengths for lap splices.

When the mechanical properties of a material vary due to change in the direction of loading, such a
material is called an anisotropic material. FRP bars are anisotropic, with the longitudinal axis being the
major axis.

FRP materials do not yield and rather they remain elastic until failure. Designer must account for the lack
of ductility in structural concrete members reinforced with FRP.

Deformability factor, The ratio of the energy absorption (area under the moment curvature curve) at
ultimate strength of the section to the energy absorption at service level.

The FRP material must never be used for enhancing the compressive strength. In FRP bars produced with
bends, a strength reduction of 40 to 50% compared with the tensile strength of a straight bar can occur
in the bend portion due to fiber bending and stress concentrations. The mode of failure for FRP bars
subjected to longitudinal compression can include transverse tensile failure, fiber micro-buckling, or shear
failure. The mode of failure depends on the type of fiber, the fiber-volume fraction, and the type of resin.

The compressive modulus of elasticity of FRP reinforcing bars appears to be smaller than its tensile
modulus of elasticity. Test reports on samples containing 55 to 60% volume fraction of continuous E-glass
fibers in a matrix of vinyl ester or isophthalic polyester resin indicate a compressive modulus of elasticity
of 5000 to 7000 ksi (35 to 48 GPa) (Wu 1990). According to reports, the compressive modulus of elasticity
is approximately 80% for GFRP, 85% for CFRP, and 100% for AFRP of the tensile modulus of elasticity for
the same product (MALLICK 1988; EHSANI 1993). The slightly lower values of modulus of elasticity in the
reports may be attributed to the premature failure in the test resulting from end brooming and internal
fiber micro-buckling under compressive loading.

Shear Behavior: Most FRP bar composites are relatively weak in inter-laminar shear where layers of
unreinforced resin lie between layers of fibers. Because there is usually no reinforcement across layers,
the inter-laminar shear strength is governed by the relatively weak polymer matrix. Orientation of the
fibers in an off-axis direction across the layers of fiber will increase the shear resistance, depending upon
the degree of offset.

When anchoring a reinforcing bar in concrete, the bond force can be transferred by:

Adhesion resistance of the interface, also known as chemical bond;

Frictional resistance of the interface against slip; and

Mechanical interlock due to irregularity of the interface.

In FRP bars, it is postulated that bond force is transferred through the resin to the reinforcement fibers,
and a bond shear failure in the resin is also possible. When a bonded deformed bar is subjected to
increasing tension, the adhesion between the bar and the surrounding concrete breaks down, and
deformations on the surface of the bar cause inclined contact forces between the bar and the
surrounding concrete. The stress at the surface of the bar resulting from the force component in the
direction of the bar can be considered the bond stress between the bar and the concrete. (Contd.)