Experimental study of short concrete columns reinforced with GFRP bars under monotonic loading

The glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars are considered as an alternative reinforcement to steel in concrete structures subjected to chloride environment because of their non- corrosive and non-magnetic properties. To examine the applicability of GFRP bars to performance of concrete columns, this work was conducted. The effect of the compressive reinforcement ratio and stirrup spacing on the load carrying capacity of concrete columns reinforced with GFRP bars is experimentally investigated. Nine short concrete columns with dimensions of 150 × 150 × 600 mm were cast and tested until failure under displacement-controlled concentric loading. The experimental results demonstrated that by increasing the reinforcement ratio from 0.37% to 3.24%, the load-bearing capacity of GFRP RC columns was found to increase by an average of 28%. Moreover, the tested results confirmed that the GFRP stirrup spacing had a significant influence on the load-carrying capacity of the columns.