Deflection behaviour of FRP reinforced concrete beams and slabs: An experimental investigation

The flexural response of FRP RC elements is investigated through load-deflection tests on 24 RC beams and slabs with glass FRP (GFRP) and carbon FRP (CFRP) reinforcement covering a wide range of reinforcement ratios. Rebar and concrete strains around a crack inducer are used to establish moment-curvature relationships and evaluate the shear and flexural components of mid-span deflections. It is concluded that the contribution of shear and bond induced deformations can be of major significance in FRP RC elements having moderate to high reinforcement ratios. Existing equations to calculate short-term deflection of FRP RC elements are discussed and compared to experimental values. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.