Prediction of Ultimate Capacity of Concrete Columns Reinforced with FRP Bars

FRP bars are used in concrete structures as an alternative to steel bars as they have many advantages such as high tensile strength, high strength-to-weight ratio, electromagnetic neutrality, lightweight and no corrosion. There is a perceived lack of standard regulations for the design of concrete columns with FRP reinforcement, e.g., in Eurocode 2. This paper describes a procedure for predicting the bearing capacity of concrete columns with FRP reinforcement based on the interaction of axial force and bending moment, which was developed on the basis of existing design recommendations and standards. It was shown that the bearing capacity of eccentrically loaded RC sections depends on two parameters, which are the mechanical reinforcement ratio omega and the location of the reinforcement in the cross-section expressed by the beta factor. The analyses carried out showed the existence of a singularity in the n-m interaction curve indicating the fact that in a certain loaded range, the curve is concave, and more it was shown that the balance failure point for sections with FRP reinforcement takes place for eccentric tension. A simple procedure for calculating the required reinforcement from any FRP bars in concrete columns was also proposed. Nomograms developed from n-m interaction curves provide for the accurate and rational design of FRP reinforcement in columns.

Automated summary

FRP bars are used as a substitute for steel bars in concrete structures due to their advantages such as high tensile strength, high strength-to-weight ratio, electromagnetic neutrality, lightweight, and corrosion resistance. However, there is a lack of standard regulations for the design of concrete columns with FRP reinforcement, like in Eurocode 2. This paper presents a procedure for predicting the bearing capacity of concrete columns with FRP reinforcement and proposes a simple method for calculating the required reinforcement.