Analysis of the transfer, flexural bond and anchorage lengths of pretensioned FRP reinforcement based on Eurocode

Current design codes in North America have guidelines for assessing the anchorage zone of pretensioned fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcement. However, there is no comparison of the Eurocode approach with experimental data or suggestions for its application for prestressed FRP reinforcement. Therefore, the main objective of this article is to provide a comparison of available data in the literature on the transfer, flexural bond, and anchorage length of different types of FRP reinforcement with Eurocode and to provide insight on the adaptation of this code. The database of more than 300 and 100 specimens with the results of the transfer and flexural bond lengths is used, respectively. This database is used to derive and propose the parameters that describe the type and surface of pretensioned FRP reinforcement based on the Eurocode approach. Furthermore, the influence of shear reinforcement and the type of pretensioned reinforcement release (gradual and sudden) is taken into account. The Eurocode approach with the coefficients proposed for different FRP reinforcements on average gave the best prediction of the experimental transfer, flexural bond, and anchorage length results compared to the North American design codes for FRP reinforcement and the Eurocode for steel strands.

Automated summary

The main objective of this article is to compare the Eurocode approach with experimental data and provide suggestions for its application for prestressed FRP reinforcement. Through analyzing the results of over 300 and 100 specimens, parameters describing the type and surface of pretensioned FRP reinforcement are derived based on the Eurocode method. The influence of shear reinforcement and the type of pretensioned reinforcement release is also taken into account. The results show that the Eurocode approach, with coefficients proposed for different FRP reinforcements, provides the best prediction for the experimental transfer, flexural bond, and anchorage length results when compared to North American design codes for FRP reinforcement and the Eurocode for steel strands.