Seismic Behavior of GFRP-Reinforced Concrete Interior Beam-Column-Slab Subassemblies

Although the seismic behavior of moment-resisting frames (MRFs) reinforced with conventional steel has been extensively studied, the performance of MRFs that are reinforced with alternative materials, such as glass fiber-reinforced polymers (GFRPs) is not fully explored. The presence of floor slabs, integrally cast with beams, is one of the main factors that affects the seismic behavior of GFRP-reinforced concrete (RC) MRFs, which is still uncovered. To fill this gap, three full-scale assemblies, one beam-column and two beam-column-slabs, were constructed and tested to failure under reversal quasi-static cyclic loading. The main test parameters were the presence of slabs and type of reinforcement (steel and GFRP). Moreover, a series of finite-element models were developed and used to investigate the effect of slab width and lateral beam size on the contribution of slabs. Test results indicated that GFRP-RC slabs, when in tension, significantly contribute to the moment capacity of beams. It was also observed that the presence of slabs increases the initial lateral stiffness of GFRP-RC MRFs, which can reduce lateral deformations of the frames during earthquakes.