Bending Behavior and Failure Analysis of GFRP and Steel Rebar Reinforced Beam Without Transverse Reinforcement with Fiber Reinforced Concrete in Tension Zone

Corrosion on steel reinforcement has been one of the most essential problems in construction materials. Therefore, in the last decade FRP re-bars have been widely used instead of traditional steel reinforcement because of Fiber Reinforced Polymers (FRP) having high corrosion resistance. FRP composites have attracted the attention of researchers in the field of industry due to high strength, lightweight and non-magnetic properties. In addition, high strength of FRP re-bars, being lightweight and chemical resistant properties have increased its use especially in industrial areas. In this study, bending behaviors of beams having steel and Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) re-bars with 5 cm high polypropylene fiber reinforced concrete in tensile zone were investigated experimentally and damage analysis were carried out. For this purpose, three-point bending tests were performed to conventional steel and GFRP reinforced beams. After bending tests, bending strengths were calculated and load-deflection graphs were created and differences in material behavior were investigated. After the tests, damages GFRP re-bars were investigated and the modes of fractures were determined. As a result of the studies, it is observed that GFRP reinforced beams has increased the bending performance significantly.