Pstruct 2020 112609
Pstruct 2020 112609
Pstruct 2020 112609
Prediction model for the flexural strength of steel fiber reinforced concrete
beams with fiber-reinforced polymer bars under repeated loading
Haitang Zhu, Zongze Li, Chengcheng Wen, Shengzhao Cheng, Yunxiao Wei
PII: S0263-8223(20)30133-1
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruct.2020.112609
Reference: COST 112609
Please cite this article as: Zhu, H., Li, Z., Wen, C., Cheng, S., Wei, Y., Prediction model for the flexural strength
of steel fiber reinforced concrete beams with fiber-reinforced polymer bars under repeated loading, Composite
Structures (2020), doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruct.2020.112609
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Abstract: This study investigates the flexural performance of steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC)
beams with fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) bars under repeated loading. Fourteen beams with dimensions
of 150 mm × 300 mm × 2100 mm were cast and tested via a four-point bending test. The effects of the
FRP reinforcement ratio, type of reinforcement, concrete strength, steel fiber shape, and steel fiber
volume fraction on the failure mode, cracking moment, skeleton curve, deflection, strength degradation,
and flexural strength of the beams were investigated. The test results revealed two different failure modes
for the SFRC beams reinforced with FRP bars, including compression failure and tensile failure. The
flexural strength of the beams decreased as the number of load cycles increased under the same
deflection. A higher FRP reinforcement ratio, concrete strength, and steel fiber volume fraction enhanced
the flexural strength of the beams and decreased the deflection. Finally, the flexural strength test results
were compared with several different prediction models. The ACI 440.1R-15, CSA S806-12, and GB
50608-2010 models underestimated the flexural strength of the beams, while the proposed prediction
model, which based on the equivalent force block, provided more accurate prediction results.
Keywords: Repeated loading; FRP bars; Steel fiber reinforced concrete beams; Flexural strength
1. Introduction
environments, the corrosion of steel bars in RC structures cannot be ignored, as it can seriously affect the
safety and durability of the structures. Consequently, huge maintenance costs are expended every year to
improve the durability of RC structures. In recent years, many researchers have investigated ways to
solve the problem of corrosion in steel bars. Some studies have explored the use of galvanized steel
reinforcement, cathodic protection, and stainless steel bars instead of traditional steel bars [1-3].
However, these methods are expensive and cannot fundamentally solve the problem of steel corrosion
[4][5]. Previous studies have reported that fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) bars, which is a type of
composite material with a high strength-to-weight ratio and good corrosion resistance, can be used as an
ideal replacement for steel bars in concrete structures to effectively overcome the problem of steel
corrosion in marine or other corrosive environments. However, FRP bars have a lower elastic modulus
and poorer bond strength with the concrete matrix. These mechanical characteristics tend to produce
larger deflections and wider cracks in FRP bars reinforced concrete structures than RC structures with the
same reinforcement ratio in the serviceability limit state [6-10]. More importantly, owing to the linear
elastic behavior of the stress-strain relationship of FRP bars until failure occurs, concrete structures
reinforced with FRP bars tend to experience sudden and disastrous failure without any obvious prior
indication. As a result, concrete structures reinforced with FRP bars should utilize over-reinforcement in
order to satisfy the serviceability criteria, which requires a higher stiffness and ductility and smaller
To overcome these problems, new hybrid FRP bars and steel bars have been used as reinforcement in
concrete beams [11]. These hybrid FRP bars were placed on the outer level of the tensile zone, while the
steel bars were arranged on the inner level of the tensile zone. Although the addition of steel bars can
2
reduce crack widths and deflections in concrete beams reinforced with FRP bars, they can also weaken
the corrosion resistance in marine or other corrosive environments. The flexural performance of concrete
beams reinforced with FRP bars grouted in corrugated sleeves was studied by Dong et al. [12]. The FRP
bars grouted in corrugated sleeves increased the bond strength between the concrete matrix and
reinforcement, which, in turn, reduced the deflection and crack widths of the concrete beams reinforced
with FRP bars. However, the approach was expensive. The flexural performance of concrete beams
reinforced with FRP bars designed with over-reinforcement is determined by the concrete performance,
therefore, improvement of the flexural strength of concrete beams reinforced with FRP bars can be
achieved through improvement of the concrete strength and ultimate compressive strain. An increase in
the ultimate compressive strain of the concrete can effectively postpone concrete crushing, and then
improve the flexural strength of the beams. The most effective way to increase the ultimate compressive
strain of concrete is to add randomly distributed short fibers into the concrete mix [13-18]. Abed et al. [13]
cast and studied the flexural behavior of basalt fiber reinforced concrete beams with BFRP bars. The
results showed that the basalt fibers increased the curvature ductility of the beams and improved the
flexural strength owing to a delay in the concrete failure strain (i.e., beyond 0.003) in the compression
zone. Issa et al. [14] used three kinds of fibers (polypropylene fiber, glass fiber, and steel fiber) to
improve the ductility and flexural strength of FRP reinforced concrete beams. A comparative analysis
performed on the toughening effects of various fibers indicated that steel fiber is the most effective way
Although many studies have addressed the flexural behavior of steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC)
beams with FRP bars under static loading [11][17], none have been conducted under repeated loading. In
actual engineering structures, such as bridges, many structures are subjected to repeated loads rather than
3
static loads. When the nominal load of a structure is less than the ultimate load, the flexural strength of
the beams will cause failure under repeated loads [19]. In general, cyclic loading on a concrete structure
results in a greater degree of internal structural damage. With the gradual accumulation of damage, the
flexural strength and deformation performance gradually decreases. Concrete beams reinforced with FRP
bars subjected to repeated loads are more prone to bond failure than those subjected to static loads [4].
Thus, the flexural behavior of SFRC beams with FRP bars subjected to repeated loads needs to be
extensively investigated.
In this study, the flexural behavior of SFRC beams with FRP bars, including the failure mode,
cracking moment, skeleton curve, deflection, strength degradation, and flexural strength, subjected to
repeated loads was investigated. The variable parameters were the FRP reinforcement ratio, type of
reinforcement, concrete strength, steel fiber shape, and steel fiber volume fraction. The test results of the
flexural strength were compared with the calculation models provided by ACI 440.1R-15 [20], CSA
S806-12 [21], GB 50608-2010 [22], and the proposed prediction model based on the equivalent force
2. Experimental program
Fourteen full-scale beams with dimensions of 150 mm × 300 mm × 2100 mm, including twelve SFRC
beams with FRP bars, one ordinary concrete beam with FRP bars, and one SFRC beam with steel bars,
were cast and tested via a four-point bending test under repeated loading until failure. According to ACI
440.1R-15, these beams were designed for the compression failure mode, which is the typical design for
Three types of FRP bars and two types of steel bars were used in the test beams. The FRP bars
4
included basalt fiber reinforced polymer (BFRP) bars with diameters of 12 mm and 14 mm, carbon fiber
reinforced polymer (CFRP) bars with a diameter of 14 mm, and glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP)
bars with a diameter of 12 mm. The steel bars were round with diameters of 6 mm and 10 mm and ribbed
with a diameter of 14 mm. The mechanical properties of the reinforcing bars are shown in Table 1. Three
shapes of hooked steel fibers were used. The length of and number of bends in the steel fibers were
different, but they had the same aspect ratio. According to the number of bends, the steel fibers were
named 3D, 4D, and 5D, as shown in Fig. 1. The mechanical properties of the steel fibers are shown in
Table 2. The mix proportions of the concrete were designed in accordance with JG/T 472-2015 [23] and
are shown in Table 3. The fine aggregate was a well-graded river sand with a diameter less than 5 mm.
The coarse aggregate used was a natural crushed stone with a diameter that ranged from 5 mm to 20 mm.
Type І Portland cement was used as the cementitious material. In order to improve the workability of the
(b) ¦©
150 600 600 600 150
2100
2 6 2 6 2 6 2 6 2 6 2 6 2 6
(c)
300
3 14 3 14 4 12 2 12 2 14 4 14 2 14
150 BFRP 150 CFRP 150 GFRP 150 BFRP 150 BFRP 150 BFRP 150 Steel
BL1-BL8 CL9 GL10 BL11 BL12 BL13 SL14
Fig. 1. Shape and size of the steel
Fig. 2. Beam details (dimensions in mm)
fibers: (a)3D; (b)4D; (c)5D
Table 1 Mechanical properties of the reinforcing bars.
Elasticity modulus of Tensile strength of
Types Diameter (mm) Yield strength (MPa) FRP rupture strain (εfu)
reinforcement (Ef) (GPa) reinforcement (ffu) (MPa)
BFRP-1 12 47.00 1080 N/A 0.022
BFRP-2 14 46.50 1060 N/A 0.021
CFRP 14 145.00 1850 N/A 0.017
GFRP 12 41.00 850 N/A 0.02
Steel-1 14 232.96 610 485 —
Steel-2 10 200.4 459.9 335 —
Steel-3 6 202 465 320 —
Table 2 Mechanical properties of the steel fibers.
Diameter of steel fiber Length of steel Tensile strength Modulus of elasticity
Type of fiber lsf / dsf Number of bends
(dsf) (mm) fiber (lsf) (mm) (MPa) (GPa)
3D 0.55 35 65 1345 200 3
4D 0.90 60 65 1600 200 4
5D 0.90 60 65 2300 200 5
5
2.2. Test beams
In order to study the effects of the FRP reinforcement ratio, concrete strength, fiber shape, and volume
fraction of the steel fiber on the flexural strength of the beams under repeated loads, 14 beams were
designed. The length of the beams was 2100 mm and the clear span was 1800 mm. The cross section of
the beams was designed to be 150 mm × 300 mm, and the protective layer was designed to be 25 mm.
Steel stirrups, 10 mm in diameter, were spaced at 75 mm o.c. in the beams to prevent shear failure. In
addition, two 6 mm steel bars were set at the top of the beams. Table 3 and Fig. 2 show the details of the
test beams and testing program, respectively. Meanwhile, standard specimens of 150 mm × 150 mm ×
150 mm were used to determine the compressive and splitting tensile strengths. Prism samples, that were
150 mm × 150 mm × 300 mm, were cast and tested to determine the modulus of elasticity and axial
compressive strength. The test results of the beams are shown in Table 4.
The beams were tested using a 200-ton hydraulic actuator at Zhengzhou University and were simply
supported by two rigid supports, as shown in Fig. 3. The beams were subjected to repeated loading on
four-point bending over a clear span of 1800 mm. The displacement control method was used, and the
loading rate of the beams was 2 mm/min, while the unloading rate was 5 mm/min. Each load stage
reached 5 kN before the appearance of the first crack; then, the crack width and development were closely
6
monitored. The loading continued until a mid-span displacement of 3 mm was reached. Each mid-span
displacement stage was 6 mm, and then, the force was unloaded to 0 kN. After the appearance of each
incremental mid-span displacement of 6 mm, the same steps were repeated three times until beam failure
occurred. Figure 4 shows the repeated loading process used for the beams.
Figure 5 provides the details of the instrumentation used to monitor the beams. The deflection along
the beam span was tested by seven linear variable differential transducers (LVDTs). The concrete strain
was tested by 15π-type variable displacements. The crack width at the longitudinal reinforcement position
N¦ ¤
3¦ ¤
D is p la c e m e n t
2¦ ¤
1¦ ¤
0 .5 ¦ ¤
C y c le
Note: Δ represents a mid-span displacement of 6 mm
Fig. 3. Beam loading setup Fig. 4. Loading process
P
L 1 L 7
¦ Ð1 ¦ Ð2 ¦ Ð3
¦ Ð4 ¦ Ð6 ¦ Ð- t y p e M e ta m o rp h o m e te r
¦ Ð7 ¦ Ð5
¦ Ð8
¦ Ð9
¦ Ð1 0
¦ Ð1 1 ¦ Ð1 2 ¦ Ð1 4 ¦ Ð1 5 L V D T
L 2 L 3 L 4 ¦ 1Ð 3 L 5 L 6
1 5 0 6 0 0 1 5 0 1 5 0 1 5 0 1 5 0 6 0 0 1 5 0
2 1 0 0
3.1. Cracking moment, failure mode, flexural strength, and ultimate compressive strain of the concrete
Table 4 presents the experimental results of the beams, including the concrete performance, cracking
moment (Mcr), flexural strength (Me), deflection (Δe), ultimate compressive strain of the concrete (εcu),
and failure mode. It can be seen from the experimental results that the appearance and development of
beam cracks was dependent on the mechanical properties of the materials used, such as the concrete
tensile strength, steel fiber volume fraction, type of reinforcement, and FRP reinforcement ratio. The
cracking moment of the beams was mainly related to the concrete tensile strength. The increase of the
concrete strength and steel fiber volume fraction was helpful to improve the tensile strength of concrete,
thus enhancing the cracking moment of the beams. The concrete tensile strengths of test beams BL2 and
BL5 were 4.17% and 53.87% higher than that of BL1, respectively, and the cracking moments were
7.69% and 46.62% higher than that of BL1, respectively. The same results have been obtained in previous
studies [24]. For beams BL4, BL5, and BL6, most of the materials were the same as in beam BL3, but the
volume fraction of the steel fiber was increased by 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5%, respectively. Their cracking
moments were 45.16%, 53.22%, and 77.42% higher than beam BL3, respectively. Therefore, increasing
the steel fiber volume fraction was the most effective way to improve the cracking moment of the beams.
The appearance and development of cracks was also limited owing to the cracking resistance of the steel
fiber.
Generally, the failure modes of concrete beams reinforced with FRP bars are different from those of
traditional RC beams owing to the linear elastic behavior of the stress-strain relationship of FRP bars until
failure occurs [26]. Figure 6 shows the crack pattern and failure mode for all beams. According to the
design requirements of ACI 440.1R-15, all concrete beams reinforced with FRP bars in this study should
8
have experienced compression failure. However, two failure modes for the SFRC beams with FRP bars
appeared in the testing, including tensile failure and compression failure. Test beams GL10, BL11, and
BL12 experienced tensile failure. The tensile failure indicated that rupture of the FRP bars in the beams
occurred prior to crushing of the concrete. From Table 4, the ultimate compressive strain of the SFRC
concrete was approximately 0.005, which was higher than the 0.0035 value typically seen in ordinary
concrete. Therefore, the addition of steel fiber could improve the deformation capacity and energy
consumption of the concrete, and could change the failure mode of concrete beams reinforced with FRP
bars. The other SFRC beams with FRP bars failed in compression. This indicates that crushing of the
concrete beams occurred before rupture of the FRP bars. concrete beams reinforced with FRP bars are
usually designed to fail by concrete crushing, as it is more ductile than the rupture of the FRP bars
[21-23]. The compression failure was related to the strength of the concrete. The design requirement of
ACI 440.1R-15 suggests that FRP bars should be combined with high strength concrete.
A large reinforcement ratio and high tensile strength in the FRP bars can effectively improve the
flexural strength of the beams [24]. The reinforcement ratios of test beams BL12, BL5, and BL13 were
37.5%, 105.3%, and 194.6% higher than that of beam BL11, respectively, and the flexural strengths were
higher by 41.6%, 105.9%, and 110.6%, respectively. The tensile strengths of the FRP bars in beams BL5
and CL9 were 24.71% and 117.65% higher, respectively, than that of beam GL10, and the flexural
strengths were higher by 42.41% and 126.62% respectively. The flexural strength of the SFRC beam with
FRP bars was 56.28% higher than that of the SFRC beam with steel bars for the same reinforcement ratio.
(a)
9
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)
(i)
(j)
(k)
10
(l)
(m)
(n)
`
Fig. 6. Crack pattern and failure mode: (a) BL1, (b) BL2, (c) BL3, (d) BL4, (e) BL5, (f) BL6, (g) BL7, (h)
BL8, (i) CL9, (j) GL10, (k) BL11, (l) BL12, (m) BL13, and (n) SL14
Figure 7 shows the skeleton curves for all test beams. The skeleton curve is formed by the line that
connects the peaks of the beam’s load-displacement curve. Generally, the skeleton curve of an SFRC
beam with FRP bars is different from that of a SFRC beam with steel bars. The skeleton curve of the
SFRC beams with FRP bars was bilinear, and shown two stages [14][24]. The first stage is a linear
growth with a steep slope, which is related to the cracking moment of the beams. When the load reaches
the cracking moment of the beams, the first stage ends. The reduction in the effective moment of inertia
of the beams leads to a decrease in the stiffness of the beams due to the appearance of cracks. Therefore,
the slope of the beam’s skeleton curve decreases as a result of the decrease in the beam’s stiffness. The
second stage indicates the development of beam cracks. In this stage, the width and length of the cracks
increase continuously, and the stiffness of the beam also decrease. However, FRP bars did not yield, the
skeleton curves continue to show an upward trend until beam failure. Figure 7 (a) shows that test beam
Figure 7 (a) shows the effect of the different types of reinforcement on the beam skeleton curve. Test
11
beams BL5, CL9, and GL10 had the same concrete strength, steel fiber volume fraction, and FRP
reinforcement ratio, but they used BFRP bars, CFRP bars, and GFRP bars as reinforcement, respectively
[25]. Beam CL9 had higher a flexural strength than both BL5 and GL10, and the slope of its skeleton
curve was much steeper. Because CFRP has a higher elastic modulus and strength, beam CL9 had a
higher stiffness than the beams with BFRP or GFRP. However, beam BL5 exhibited a larger deformation
than beams CL9 and GL10 at failure. Therefore, the ductility of the BFRP was better than that of the
CFRP and GFRP. Compared with beams BL12 and SL14, which used BFRP bars and steel bars,
respectively, the other variables were the same. The flexural strength and deflection of beam BL12 were
79.21% and 14.87% higher than those values for beam SL14, respectively. Hence, compared with
traditional RC beams, concrete beams reinforced with FRP bars produced larger deflections and a higher
Figure 7 (b) shows the skeleton curve for the beams with the same concrete strength but different FRP
reinforcement ratios. The crack width and length decreased with an increase in the reinforcement ratio
under the same loads [24]. Therefore, the stiffness of the beam and slope of the skeleton curve will
increase with an increase in the reinforcement ratio under the same displacement. Although the
reinforcement ratio of beam BL12 was 37.5% higher than that of BL11, the flexural strength was 41.33%
higher. The influence of the reinforcement ratio on the flexural strength was more obvious owing to the
tensile failure of test beams BL11 and BL12. The flexural strength of the beams that experienced
compression failure was mainly related to the strength of the concrete. For beams BL11, BL12, and BL5,
the deflections were 31.2%, 24.8%, and 5.46% lower, respectively, than the deflection of beam BL13.
12
(a) (b)
(c) (d)
Fig. 7. Skeleton curves of the beams:(a) Type of reinforcement; (b) FRP reinforcement ratio; (c) Concrete
strength; and (d) Volume fraction and shape of steel fibers
Figure 7 (c) shows that the skeleton curves of the beams with the same FRP reinforcement ratio,
volume fraction of steel fibers, and type of reinforcement only varied with the concrete strength. The
concrete strengths of beams BL5 and BL2 were 72.86% and 22.66% higher than that of beam BL1, while
the flexural strength increased by 25.89% and 12.09%, respectively. The increase in the concrete strength
also resulted in increases in the stiffness of the beams. More importantly, increasing the concrete strength
resulted in decreased deflection in the beams at the same load levels [10].
3.2.4 Effect of the volume fraction and shape of the steel fibers
Figure 7 (d) shows the effect of increasing the volume fraction and altering the shape of the steel fiber
on the skeleton curves of the beams. The scattered distribution of steel fiber in the concrete improved the
tensile strength and hindered the development of cracks [17]. For beams BL3, BL4, BL5, and BL6, the
13
volume fraction of the steel fiber was 0%, 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5%, respectively. A higher volume fraction of
steel fiber can improve the ductility and decrease in the deflections of the beams [17]. Moreover, the
incorporation of steel fibers has been shown to effectively improve the ultimate compressive strain of the
concrete, the bond strength between the FRP bars and concrete [13], and the flexural strength of the
beams. Beams BL5, BL7, and BL8 had the same volume fraction of steel fibers, but used shapes 3D, 4D,
and 5D, respectively. Although the aspect ratios of the 3D, 4D, and 5D fibers were the same, the fiber
length, number of bends, and tensile strengths were different. The 5D steel fiber had a higher tensile
strength and displayed better bonding performance than the 4D and 3D fibers. Hence, the flexural
strength of beam BL8 was higher than that of beams BL7 and BL5.
Evaluation of the strength degradation of the beams was is an important index to study for
understanding the degradation of the flexural strength under repeated loading. The strength degradation
can directly reflect how the flexural strength of the beams decreases as the number of load cycles
increased. Strength degradation is usually evaluated by the strength degradation coefficient, λij. Table 5
gives the strength degradation coefficients of the beams subjected to the number of load cycles at each
stage of displacement. The strength degradation coefficient, λij, can be calculated as follows:
Pi,j (1)
λi,j
Pi,1
where Pij is the peak load of the jth cycle under a displacement of i.
Table 5 Strength degradation coefficient of the beams at each stage of displacement
Strength degradation(%)
Beam Cycle Number
1Δ 2Δ 3Δ 4Δ 5Δ 6Δ 7Δ 8Δ 9Δ
Second cycle 0.93 0.94 0.95 0.94 0.94 0.95 0.95 — —
B-30-1.15-1.0-3
Third cycle 0.92 0.92 0.93 0.92 0.91 0.92 0.92 — —
Second cycle 0.94 0.95 0.95 0.94 0.93 0.93 0.93 — —
B-45-1.15-1.0-3
Third cycle 0.92 0.92 0.93 0.91 0.92 0.91 0.91 — —
Second cycle 0.93 0.96 0.97 0.97 0.97 0.97 0.97 — —
B-60-1.15-0-0
Third cycle 0.91 0.93 0.96 0.96 0.96 0.95 0.93 — —
Second cycle 0.94 0.95 0.96 0.96 0.95 0.96 0.96 — —
B-60-1.15-0.5-3
Third cycle 0.93 0.93 0.95 0.94 0.93 0.93 0.93 — —
Second cycle 0.92 0.95 0.96 0.96 0.96 0.96 0.95 — —
B-60-1.15-1.0-3
Third cycle 0.91 0.93 0.95 0.94 0.94 0.94 0.92 — —
14
Second cycle 0.93 0.95 0.95 0.96 0.95 0.96 — — —
B-60-1.15-1.5-3
Third cycle 0.91 0.93 0.93 0.94 0.93 0.94 — — —
Second cycle 0.95 0.96 0.96 0.95 0.95 0.96 0.96 — —
B-60-1.15-1.0-4
Third cycle 0.91 0.94 0.94 0.93 0.93 0.94 0.93 — —
Second cycle 0.94 0.95 0.95 0.96 0.97 0.96 0.95 — —
B-60-1.15-1.0-5
Third cycle 0.92 0.94 0.93 0.94 0.94 0.94 0.91 — —
Second cycle 0.98 0.96 0.96 0.96 0.94 0.93 — — —
C-60-1.15-1.0-3
Third cycle 0.96 0.94 0.94 0.94 0.92 0.90 — — —
Second cycle 0.98 0.96 0.96 0.96 0.94 0.92 — — —
G-60-1.18-1.0-3
Third cycle 0.96 0.95 0.95 0.93 0.91 0.86 — — —
Second cycle 0.92 0.93 0.93 0.94 0.93 0.93 — — —
B-60-0.56-1.0-3
Third cycle 0.91 0.91 0.90 0.91 0.88 0.88 — — —
Second cycle 0.97 0.96 0.96 0.96 0.96 0.96 — — —
B-60-0.77-1.0-3
Third cycle 0.95 0.94 0.94 0.94 0.94 0.94 — — —
Second cycle 0.96 0.95 0.95 0.95 0.93 0.94 0.94 0.92 —
B-60-1.65-1.0-3
Third cycle 0.94 0.94 0.94 0.94 0.91 0.92 0.92 0.87 —
Second cycle 0.95 0.80 0.98 0.91 0.82 0.91 0.86 0.93 0.64
S-60-0.77-1.0-3
Third cycle 0.93 0.77 0.93 0.90 0.78 0.85 0.74 0.91 0.59
Note: NΔ represents a displacement of N× 6 mm
From Table 5, the degradation coefficient decreased with an increase in the cycle number at the same
displacement, and the strength degradation value of the SFRC beams with FRP bars decreased to
approximately 0.9 after three load cycles. However, the rate at which the strength degraded decreased
with an increase in the number of cycles. Increasing the reinforcement ratio could also effectively reduce
the strength degradation value of the beams under the same displacement.
4. Theoretical prediction
In this study, the calculation methods for the flexural strength of concrete beams reinforced with FRP
bars given in ACI 440.1R-15, CSA S806-12, and GB 50608-2010 are introduced. The incorporation of
steel fiber not only improves the ultimate compressive strain of the concrete, but also increases the tensile
strength; thereby improving the flexural strength of the beams. More importantly, the repeated loading
has a significant impact on the flexural strength of the beams. Therefore, according to the equivalent force
block, strain coordination, and internal force balance, this study puts forward a prediction model for the
flexural strength of SFRC beams with FRP bars under repeated loading. After testing, the experimental
values were compared with the theoretical values. The results of the comparison are shown in Table 6.
4.1. Flexural strength evaluation according to ACI 440.1R-15, CSA S806-12, and GB 50608-2010
According to ACI 440.1R-15, the flexural strength of concrete beams reinforced with FRP bars can be
15
calculated based on the strain compatibility, internal force balance, and failure mode (i.e., tensile failure
or compression failure). ACI 440.1R-15 recommends that concrete beams reinforced with FRP bars be
designed for compression failure with a concrete compressive strain ( ε cu) of 0.003. Therefore, the
fc E f cu
fb 0.851 (2)
f fu E f cu f fu
where fc and εcu are the compressive strength and ultimate compressive strain of the concrete,
respectively; ffu and Ef are the ultimate tensile stress and elastic modulus of the FRP bars, respectively;
(f c 28)
1 0.85 0.05 0.65 (3)
7
The failure mode of the beams is determined by the FRP reinforcement ratio (ρf), which can be
calculated as follows:
Af
f (4)
bd t
where Af is the area of the FRP bar, b is the width of the rectangular cross-section, and dt is the distance
measured from the extreme compression fiber to the centroid of the FRP bars.
When ρf > ρfb, the beams are considered to be over-reinforced, which results in failure by concrete
crushing, and the FRP bars do not rupture. The flexural strength, MACI, can be calculated as follows:
f ff
M ACI f f f bd 2 (1 0.59 ) f b (5)
fc '
where ff is the tensile strength of the FRP bars, and can be calculated as follows:
( E f cu ) 2 0.851 f c '
ff E f cu 0.5 E f cu f fu f b (6)
4 f
When ρf < ρb, the beams are considered to be under-reinforced and failure due to rupture of the FRP
bars occurs. The flexural strength, MACI, can be calculated by using the following equations:
1c
M ACI A f f fu (d ) f b (7)
2
16
A f f fu
1c f b (8)
0.85bf c '
Finally, ACI 440.1R-15 suggests that if ρfb < ρf < 1.4 ρfb, the failure mode (tension-compression
failure) of the beams will be in the transition region between tensile failure and crushing failure. It has
been shown that rupture of the FRP bars occurs after the concrete is broken.
Basis on CSA S806-12, the ultimate compressive strain of the concrete (εcu) is 0.0035. The balanced
fc E f cu
fb 11 (9)
f fu E f cu f fu
The flexural strength, MCSA, can be calculated using the following equations:
f ff
M CSA f f f bd 2 (1 ) (12)
21 f c '
cu (d c)
f f Af E f f fu (13)
c
cu (d c)
11 f c ' bc A f E f (14)
c
According to GB 50608-2010, the ultimate compressive strain of the concrete (εcu) is 0.0033. The
balanced reinforcement ratio, ρfb, and the height of the balanced pressure area, ξfb, can be calculated as
follows:
fc
fb 1 fb (15)
f fu
1 cu
fb (16)
cu f fu E f
where α1 and β1 are coefficients related to the strength of the concrete. If the value of fcu is less than 50,
the values of α1 and β1 are 1 and 0.8, respectively. If the value of fcu is more than 80, the values of α1 and
β1 are 0.94 and 0.74, respectively. When the value of fcu is between 50 and 80, α1 and β1 can be calculated
17
using the following equations, respectively:
M GB 0.9 f f A f d f b (19)
c
M GB f f A f (d ) f b (20)
2
f c bc f f A f (21)
f cu f b
(22)
f f f cu (1 0 . 211 ( f 0 .2
1 .5 b f b
fb ) )
f
f cu ( fb )
0 .5
f 1 .5 b
The tensile and compressive stress-strain of SFRC is different from that of ordinary concrete.
According to the test results, the compressive strain of concrete (εcu) containing steel fibers can reach
0.005. The residual strength of SFRC in the tensile zone should be considered because of the effect of the
steel fibers on crack resistance. Therefore, the effect of the steel fibers should be considered in the
calculation model of the flexural strength of the beams. In order to simplify the analysis, the following
(1) The FRP bars demonstrate linear elastic behavior until failure. The stress-strain relationship of the
f f Ef f (23)
and Guofan Zhao [29]. The stresses in the concrete can be calculated by the following equations:
18
c n
c f c [1 (1 ) ] c c0 (24)
c0
f c c0
c c
1 (25)
n 2 (f cu.k 50)
60
sf lsf (26)
c 0 0.0007 0.002
d sf
where εcu has a value of 0.0035 for ordinary concrete [21] and 0.005 for steel fiber concrete.
4.3 A model for predicting the flexural strength of SFRC beams with FRP bars
Compression failure indicates that failure of the concrete occurs at the top of the beam, but the strain
level of the FRP bars remains under the limit strain and within the elastic range. Figure 8 (a) shows the
flexural stress-strain distribution in the flexural strength state of the SFRC beams with FRP bars. Based
on the balance of forces, the resultant force of the concrete compression zone (C) of the beams can be
where Tsf is the resultant force of the SFRC in tension zone, σsf is the equivalent tensile stress of the
SFRC, Af is the area of the FRP bars, ff is the stress of the FRP bars, which can be calculated as follows:
εcu (28)
f f εf Ef (d t c)E f
c
Based on strain compatibility, the concrete strain, εc, at the distance y above the neutral axis can be
calculated as follows:
εcu (29)
εc y
c
The resultant force of concrete compression zone can be calculated by the calculus method of concrete
stress in compression zone. The value of C can be calculated using the following equations:
εcu
dεc dy (30)
c
c c εcu
C b σc (εc )dy b
εcu 0
σc (εc )dεc (31)
0
The moment of the resultant force in the compression zone of concrete to the neutral axis, Mc, can be
19
c c 2 εcu
Mc ycC b σc (εc ) ydy b(
εcu 0
) σc (εc )εcdεc (32)
0
Combining Eqs. 31 and 32, the distance from the resultant force of concrete in the compression zone
c 2 cu
) σ c (εc )εc dεc
b( cu
M εcu 0 c 0 σ c (εc )εc dεc
yc c cu (33)
C c cu ε
b( ) σ c (εc )dεc
εcu 0
cu
0 σ c (εc )dεc
Based on the equal distance from the resultant force of concrete in the compression zone to the center
of FRP bars in tension zone, the value of β can be calculated using the following equations:
c
dt dt (c yc ) (34)
2
cu
2(1
0
c ( c ) c d c
) 2(1 k ) (35)
cu
c u c ( c )d c
0
Based on the same resultant force of concrete in compression zone, the value of α can be calculated
cu
0
c ( c )d c
(37)
2(1 k ) c u f c
Based on a parabolic stress block and strain compatibility, the concrete pressure zone height (c) can be
Based on the internal force equilibrium, the flexural strength of the beams (Mu) can be calculated as
follows:
β hc (40)
M u αβf c bc(d t c) σ s(
f
h c(
) d a )b
2 2
The equivalent tensile stress of the steel fiber can be determined by inserting the test data into Eqs. 34
and 35. By establishing the relationship between the equivalent tensile stress of the steel fiber and the
20
tensile strength of the SFRC, the amount of steel fiber, the aspect ratio of the steel fiber, and the number
of bends in the steel fiber, the value of σsf can be determined. Using linear regression, σsf is obtained as
follows:
lsf (41)
σ sf 0.43 f t sf Fb e
d sf
where Fbe is the bending coefficient of the steel fiber and has a value in the range of 1.0-1.2. According to
the number of bends in the steel fiber, 3, 4, or 5, take Fbe to be 1.0, 1.1, or 1.2, respectively. ft is the tensile
strength of the concrete, lsf is the length of the steel fiber, dsf is the diameter of the steel fiber, and ρsf is the
C
c
c
y0
(a) f ft
dt
h
Mu Mu
¦Ò
sf
f f Af f f Af ¦Å
f
da
(A) cross-sectional (B) stress distribution (C) equivalent rectangular stress (D) cross-section strain
b
¦Á
fc ¦Å
c'
fc
¦Â
C
c
c
y0
(b) f ft
dt
h
Mu Mu
¦Ò
sf
f f 'Af f f 'Af ¦Å
fu '
da
(A) cross-sectional (B) stress distribution (C) equivalent rectangular stress (D) cross-section strain
b
¦Á
fc ¦Å
cu
fc
¦Â
C
c
c
y0
(c) f ft
dt
h
Mu Mu
¦Ò
sf
f f 'Af f f 'Af ¦Å
fu'
da
(A) cross-sectional (B) stress distribution (C) equivalent rectangular stress (D) cross-section strain
Fig. 8. Stress distribution and section size (a) compression failure, (b) tension failure, and (c) balanced
21
failure
Tension failure indicates that rupture of the FRP reinforcement in the beams occurs before crushing of
the concrete, and the FRP reaches the ultimate tensile strain. Tensile failure is shown in Fig. 8 (b). FRP
material with a low modulus of elasticity exhibits microcracking in the matrix at high strains, resulting in
reduced fatigue resistance in this type of fiber [30]. The test results indicate that the tensile stress of the
FRP bars under repeated loading only reached about 90% of the ultimate stress. Therefore, the stress of
Based on a parabolic stress block and strain compatibility, the compressive strain of the concrete at the
c ε'c
b
ε’c
0
c εc)dεc f fu ' Af σ s(
σ( f
dt c)b (43)
where
εc' (44)
c dt
εc' ε fu
The value of εc' is obtained by Eqs. 42 and 43, then the value of εc' is taken into Eqs. 41, 40, and 39 to
Balanced failure indicates that rupture of the FRP bars and crushing of the concrete occur
simultaneously. Figure 8 (c) depicts balanced failure. Based on a parabolic stress block and strain
c ε
b σ c (εc )d εc f f 'Apf σ s f (d t c)b (45)
cu
ε cu 0
Abf (46)
ρbf
bd t
εcu (47)
c dt
εcu ε fu
Finally, the value of ρbf can be solved. The balanced reinforcement ratio distinguishes the limits of the
22
compression and tensile damage of the beams. Therefore, balancing the reinforcement ratio plays an
The predicted flexural strength was calculated on the basis of MACI from ACI 440.1R-15, MCSA from
CSA S806-12, MGB from GB 50010-2010, and Mu from the proposed prediction model. Table 6 gives a
comparison of the experimental flexural strength (Me) results. The predictive models of ACI 440.1R-15,
CSA S806-12, and GB 50010-2010 calculated the value of the flexural strength of the beams to be
26.35%, 18.10%, and 15.86% lower, respectively, than the experimental results. However, the new
flexural strength calculation model proposed by this study produced a value significantly closer to the
experimental value. More importantly, the new calculation model was able to accurately predict the
failure mode of the SFRC beams with FRP bars. For the failure modes of test beams GL10, BL11, and
BL12, the proposed model in this study predicted tensile failure, which was confirmed by the
experimental results. However, ACI 440.1R-15, CSA S806-12, and GB 50010-2010 predicted that the
failure mode of beams GL10, BL11, and BL12 would be compression failure.
Table 6 Comparison of the experimental results and theoretical results for the flexural strength
Me Mu MACI MCSA MGB
Beam Mu/Me MACI/Me MCSA/Me MGB/Me
(KN·m) (KN·m) (KN·m) (KN·m) (KN·m)
BL1 80.50 71.81 0.89 55.38 0.69 61.17 0.76 61.92 0.77
BL2 90.23 84.98 0.94 61.69 0.68 70.42 0.78 71.40 0.79
BL3 93.48 93.80 1.00 67.93 0.73 82.50 0.88 82.87 0.89
BL4 94.92 100.06 1.05 65.34 0.69 76.80 0.81 77.94 0.82
BL5 101.34 106.02 1.05 67.64 0.67 81.77 0.81 82.24 0.81
BL6 106.77 104.42 0.98 69.16 0.65 86.16 0.81 85.96 0.81
This study BL7 103.53 104.42 1.01 68.72 0.66 84.70 0.82 84.73 0.82
BL8 104.37 104.75 1.00 68.80 0.66 84.96 0.81 84.95 0.81
CL9 161.26 155.54 0.96 106.38 0.66 127.91 0.79 132.43 0.82
GL10 71.16 74.14 1.04 58.03 0.82 68.39 0.96 66.72 0.94
BL11 51.85 53.93 1.04 47.66 0.92 55.64 1.07 55.06 1.06
BL12 73.28 73.03 1.00 55.38 0.76 65.55 0.89 65.17 0.89
BL13 107.43 111.03 1.03 71.61 0.67 87.05 0.81 86.16 0.80
B-0-77-0 64.58 65.02 1.01 57.13 0.88 57.01 0.88 61.74 0.96
B-05-77-300 77.17 78.29 1.01 60.76 0.79 59.68 0.77 64.25 0.83
B-10-77-300 79.24 80.16 1.01 63.73 0.80 61.74 0.78 66.59 0.84
Haitang B-15-77-300 84.41 79.69 0.94 62.63 0.74 61.74 0.73 65.52 0.78
Zhu [27] B-20-77-300 78.89 78.49 0.99 62.57 0.79 61.00 0.77 65.46 0.83
B-10-56-300 70.80 63.40 0.90 57.91 0.82 56.19 0.79 54.30 0.77
B-10-101-300 93.00 89.31 0.96 54.57 0.59 63.00 0.68 71.36 0.77
B-10-165-300 98.70 102.02 1.03 79.89 0.81 76.69 0.78 85.23 0.86
Average value 0.9936 0.7365 0.8190 0.8414
Coefficient of variation 0.2068 0.3860 0.3750 0.3231
23
5. Conclusions
The flexural strength and behavior of SFRC beams with FRP bars was investigated by performing a
four-point bending test under repeated loading. The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the
influence of the addition of steel fibers to a concrete mix on the flexural behavior of concrete beams
reinforced with FRP bars (i.e., the influence on the failure mode, cracking motion, skeleton curve,
reflection, strength degradation, flexural strength, etc.). In addition, this study also compared the flexural
behavior of test beams with different FRP reinforcement ratios, concrete strengths, and reinforcement
types. Based on the experimental outcomes, the following conclusions were drawn:
1. The cracking moment of the beams was mainly related to the concrete tensile strength. The
concrete tensile strength was mostly increased by the addiction of steel fibers to a concrete mix,
which was able to effectively improve the cracking moment of the beams. The cracking moment
of the beam with 1.5% steel fiber volume fraction was 77.3% higher than that without steel fiber.
2. The ultimate compressive strain of concrete was postponed by the addition of steel fibers to the
concrete matrix, which was able to improve the flexural strength of the concrete beams reinforced
with FRP bars, and change the failure mode also. The beams with reinforcement ratio of 0.56 %
and 0.77 % were tensile failure, but their balanced reinforcement ratio was 0.30 % and 0.32 %
3. The skeleton curves of the SFRC beams with FRP bars were bilinear. A high reinforcement ratio,
concrete strength, and tensile strength in the FRP bars was shown to increase the flexural strength
and reduce the deflection in the SFRC beams with FRP bars.
4. The flexural strength of the SFRC beam with FRP bars was 56.28 % higher than that of the SFRC
beam with steel bars under the same reinforcement ratio of 0.77 %.
24
5. The flexural strength of the beams decreased as the number of load cycles increased under the
same deflection, and the flexural strength decreased to about 90% after three load cycles. When
the FRP bars were under high stress, the stress decreased by about 10% as the repeated loads
increased.
6. The prediction models provided by ACI 440.1R-15, CSA S806-12 and GB50608-2010
underestimated the flexural strength of the beams by 71.84%, 76.57%, and 82.84%, respectively,
while the proposed method, which was based on the equivalent force block, provided more
accurate prediction results that was 98.74% of the calculated theoretical value.
Acknowledgements
This research work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China
(No. 51578510).
The raw/processed data required to reproduce these findings cannot be shared at this time, as the data
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