Utilizing Fibre Reinforced Concrete to Enhance Service Performance of GFRP-Reinforced Concrete
摘要
Fibre reinforced concrete (FRC) is widely used in slabs on grade, tunnels, and bridge barriers. Most FRC uses steel fibres but glass fibres are also used in practice. Despite the wide use of FRC there remain gaps in understanding particularly for glass FRC combined with Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) reinforcement. This study presents material tests on glass FRC constructed with normal strength and density concrete. Selected GFRP fibres have lengths of 36 mm and aspect ratios (length to diameter) of 67. Three fibre dosages by volume were considered: 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5% and compared to concrete without fibres. Mechanical properties increased with fibre dosage with FRC showing a strain-softening response after cracking. With mechanical properties established, a design-oriented approach to simulate fibre response was developed to assess how FRC improves the serviceability performance of concrete beams reinforced with GFRP bars. This approach indicates that, given a consistent service load, deflections with 1.5% dosage of glass fibres were 33% smaller on average than beams without fibres. Reinforcement strain, which is linked to crack width, was on average 20% smaller on average for a beam with 1.5% dosage than of a beam without fibres. Results indicate that glass FRC may address some serviceability constraints experienced with GFRP reinforced concrete.