Seismic Behavior of Beam-Column Joints Reinforced with GFRP Bars and Stirrups

Reinforced concrete beam-column joints are commonly used in structures such as parking garages and road overpasses, which might be exposed to extreme weathering conditions and the application of deicing salts. The use of the noncorrodible fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcing bars in such structures is beneficial to overcome the steel-corrosion problems. However, FRP materials exhibit linear-elastic stress-strain characteristics up to failure, which raises concerns on their performance in beam-column joints in which energy dissipation, through plastic behavior, is required. The objective of this research project is to assess the seismic behavior of concrete beam-column joints reinforced with glass (G) FRP bars and stirrups. Five full-scale exterior T-shaped beam-column joint prototypes were constructed and tested under simulated seismic load conditions. The longitudinal and transversal reinforcement types and ratios are the main investigated parameters in this study. The experimental results showed that the GFRP-reinforced joints can successfully sustain a 4.0% drift ratio without any significant residual deformation. This indicates the feasibility of using GFRP bars and stirrups as reinforcement in the beam-column joints subjected to seismic-type loading. It was also concluded that, increasing the beam reinforcement ratio, while satisfying the strong column-weak beam concept, can enhance the ability of the joint to dissipate seismic energy. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)CC.1943-5614.0000220. (C) 2011 American Society of Civil Engineers.