Toughening mechanisms for fibre reinforced polymer-reinforced concrete beams

The bond between reinforcing bars and the surrounding concrete is one of the dominant mechanisms affecting the structural behavior of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP)-reinforced concrete structures. In this chapter, the experimental and numerical studies on the bond mechanism between FRP rebars and concrete in FRP-reinforced concrete beams are presented. Concrete beams reinforced with three types of FRP rebars with different rebar surfaces were tested under four-point bending loads to investigate the effects of types and surface conditions of FRP rebars on the bond-slip behavior of reinforced concrete beams. A new finite element model recently developed and validated by the authors was employed to numerically investigate the bond-slip behavior of FRP-reinforced concrete beams and the effects of different rebar surfaces and different rebar types on the bond-slip behavior. The research findings are concluded.