Experimental Investigation of the Effects of FRP Bar Fiber Type and Surface Characteristics on the Performance of Reinforced Concrete Beams

In this study, experimental investigations were conducted on rectangular cross-section beams to determine the effects of FRP (fiber-reinforced polymer) bars with different fiber and surface characteristics on the flexural performance of reinforced concrete beams. Taking the steel-reinforced beam as a reference, FRP bars were used in the same ratio and spacing in the FRP-reinforced beams. The beams were reinforced with steel rebar and aramid, basalt, glass, carbon FRP bars with sand-coated and ribbed surface characteristics. The effects of FRP bars and bar surfaces on the flexural strengths of the beams and their failure modes were examined through four-point flexural tests. According to the results obtained from the experimental study, the flexural strength of the FRP-reinforced beams nearly has matched that of the steel-reinforced beams. It has been observed that some FRP-reinforced beams with different fiber types and bar surface characteristics showed higher strengths than steel-reinforced beams. While all of the steel-reinforced beams failed only by flexure, the failure modes of the FRP-reinforced beams varied. The fiber type and bar surface characteristics have also influenced the failure modes of the beams.