International Concrete Abstracts Portal

This volume contains 72 papers from the 10th International Symposium held in Tampa, FL. The papers address internally reinforced members, strengthening of columns, material characterization, bond, emerging fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) systems, shear strengthening, fatigue and anchorage systems, masonry, extreme events, applications, durability, and strengthening. The papers emphasize the experimental, analytical, and numerical validations of using FRP composites and are aimed at providing insights needed for improving existing guidelines. The increasing maturity and acceptance of FRP is reflected by several papers that provide background information on the recent design codes and guidelines relating to blast and seismic repair. New frontiers of FRP research are explored, addressing emergin materials, and systems and applications for extreme events, such as fires and earthquakes, which will further consolidate FRP’s preeminent position. Note: The individual papers are also available. Please click on the following link to view the papers available, or call 248.848.3800 to order. SP-275

This paper deals with the shear strengthening of reinforced concrete (RC) beams using externally bonded (EB) fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP). The parameters that have the greatest influence on the shear behavior of RC members strengthened with EB FRP and the role of these parameters in current design codes are reviewed. The effect of transverse steel on the shear contribution of FRP was found significant and yet is not captured by any existing codes or guidelines. Therefore, a new design method is proposed, which considers the effect of transverse steel as well as to other influencing factors on the shear contribution of FRP (Vfrp). The accuracy of the proposed equations is verified by predicting the shear strength of experimentally tested RC beams using data collected from literature.

This paper deals with the assessment of a design formulation to predict the end debonding load in reinforced concrete (RC) elements strengthened with externally bonded reinforcement (EBR) in fiber reinforced polymer (FRP). The debonding loads recorded during several bond tests have been collected and the reliability of three relationships furnished by literature and codes to calculate the end plate debonding load has been assessed. Then, the experimental data have been used to assess a new relationship for the end plate debonding load according to the ‘design by testing’ procedure suggested in European codes. In particular, numerical factors for calculating mean values and percentiles for the end plate debonding load have been calibrated. Moreover, different factors have been assessed for the preformed and cured in-situ EBR FRP systems that have been distinguished in order to better exploit the performance of the latter ones.

A pedestrian bridge in Albstadt, Germany showed immense corrosion damages of the steel reinforcement. The damages were so immense that the bridge had to be torn down due to a lack of load-bearing capacity and, therefore, replaced by a new bridge. The architectural design follows a slender construction principle, thus, by using the new composite material textile reinforced concrete (TRC) a slender concrete superstructure is achieved. By using non-corrosive textiles, concrete covers can be reduced to a minimum of only some millimetres and cross-sections are minimized. The paper describes the design, structural analysis, load-bearing behavior and production processes of a 97 m (3819 in.) long TRC pedestrian bridge. The whole construction is subdivided into six prefabricated parts, each offering a maximum length of L=17.20 m (677 in.) and a maximum span of Ls=15.05 m (593 in.). The cross-section, which is a T-beam, has a height of only H=0.435 m (17 in.) resulting in a slender bridge construction with a slenderness ratio of H:Ls = 1:35.

Precast lightweight concrete panels reinforced with Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) bars are an ideal candidate for adoption in the construction of bridge decks using Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC). ACI 440.1R guidelines do not provide guidance for the use of lightweight concrete with GFRP bars. Tests have been carried out to evaluate the performance of normal weight and lightweight concrete precast panels reinforced with GFRP bars. The ultimate load capacity of the panels was compared to one-way shear capacity specified in the ACI 440.1R guidelines. The reduction factor for shear specified in the ACI 318 building code for lightweight concrete was used to modify the capacity predicted by the ACI 440.1R guidelines for sand lightweight precast concrete panels. Normal weight concrete panels achieved 1.8 to 2.2 times the ACI 440 predicted capacity and lightweight concrete panels achieved 1.6 to 1.9 times the modified ACI 440 shear capacity.