Authors : S. Gowrisankar, G. Dhinakaran and C. Antony Jeyasehar
Abstract: Corrosion of steel reinforcement in concrete structures is caused principally by carbon-dioxide, de-icing salts and seawater and is a multi-billion pound problem worldwide. A radically new method which has recently been evolved out is the use of Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) re-bar as a substitute for conventional steel reinforcement. FRP re-bar are typically made up of either with aramid, glass or carbon fibers embedded in resin such as vinyl ester, polyester or epoxy. Since, the constituents of FRP re-bar are non-metallic, corrosion problem does not arise. Use of FRP re-bar as reinforcement has gained numerous advantages compared to the conventional reinforcement. Hence, an attempt has been made to study the effect of high strength flexural member reinforced with Glass Fiber Reinforce Polymer (GFRP) re-bar. In the present research, two high strength concrete beams of size 125x200x2100 mm have been considered. The concrete grade used is M 40. One beam is reinforced with GFRP re-bar and the other is with steel. Two point loading test was carried out and the failure characteristics were studied. The plots showing load-deflection curves at different sections of the beams and the moment carrying capacity were also developed. Thus, the study provides a clear picture of the performance of flexural member reinforced with GFRP re-bar and also provides a clear comparison with steel reinforced beam.
S. Gowrisankar, G. Dhinakaran and C. Antony Jeyasehar, 2011. Load Deflection Characteristics of HSC Beam with Non-Metallic Reinforcement. Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 6: 322-325.