Abstract:The large temperature variation has a harmful effect on concrete structures reinforced with fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) bars. This is due to the significant difference between transverse coefficient of thermal expansion of these bars and that of the hardened concrete. This difference generates a radial pressure at the FRP bar/concrete interface, and may cause splitting cracks within concrete. This paper presents results of an experimental and analytical study carried out on FRP-reinforced concrete slabs subjected, simultaneously, to thermal and mechanical loads. The analytical model based on the theory of linear elasticity consists to evaluate combined effects of thermal and mechanical loads on the transverse expansion of FRP bars. Parameters studied in this investigation are the concrete cover thickness, FRP bar diameter, and the temperature variation. The thermal cycles were varied from −30 to +60 °C. Comparisons between analytical and experimental results show that transverse strains predicted from the proposed model are in good correlation with experimental results.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.