Rheology Behavior of Short Fiber-Reinforced Cement-Based Extrudate

It is important to understand the rheological properties of an extrudate of short fiber-reinforced cementitious (SFRC) composites to achieve a successful extrusion of SFRC composites. This paper presents the preliminary results on the study of the rheology field of SFRC extrudate. The paper started with the analysis of cementitious flows in a shallow flight extruder in which the height of the flight to the width of the channel ratio is small (H∕W < 0.1). The fresh cementitious flow inside was considered as a 2D steady shear flow with nonlinear viscoelastic properties. By the fact that the Deborah number is small for the cementitious flow in an extruder, the constitutive equation of “retarded-motion-expansion” was adopted. The formula of the flow volume rate for a shallow flight screw extruder was derived and numerically solved by the finite-difference method. The velocity profiles and pressure gradient of the flow were presented. Then, a correction factor was used to modify the obtained results for the case of the deep flight screw extruder (H∕W > 0.1). The differences between the results predicted by the Newtonian theory and those by the nonlinear viscoelastic theory were also investigated and analyzed.     

Fatigue Behavior of Concrete-Filled Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Tubes

To date, research on concrete-filled fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) tubes (CFFT) has focused on the effect of static loads, simulated seismic loads, and long-term sustained loads. Dynamic fatigue behavior of CFFTs, on the other hand, has received little or no attention. This paper reports on an experimental study to evaluate damage accumulation, stiffness degradation, fatigue life, and residual bending strength of CFFT beams. A total of eight CFFT beams with four different types of FRP tube were tested under four point bending. Test parameters included reinforcement index, fiber architecture, load range, and end restraints. Fatigue performance of CFFT beams is clearly governed by characteristics of the FRP tube and its three phases of damage growth: matrix cracking, matrix delamination, and fiber rupture. Lower reinforcement index increases stiffness degradation and damage growth, and shortens fatigue life. End restraints, e.g., embedment of FRP tube in adjacent members, promote composite action, arrest slippage of concrete core, and enhance fatigue life of CFFT beams. It is suggested that a maximum load level of 25% of the static capacity be imposed for fatigue design of CFFTs. With proper design, CFFTs may withstand repeated traffic loading necessary for bridge girders.     

Behavior of Interfaces between Fiber-Reinforced Polymers and Sands

Conventional construction materials used in foundations can encounter serious durability problems in contaminated subsurface or marine environments. Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites are potentially suitable for these harsh environments due to their chemical and corrosion resistant properties. Quantification of the interface behavior between FRP composites and soils is a necessary precursor to the adoption of these new materials in geotechnical engineering practice. This paper describes the results of an experimental study that was conducted to investigate the behavior of sand-FRP interfaces. Tests showed that the interface shear behavior between FRP composites and granular materials depended on the relative roughness (surface roughness∕particle mean size), the normal stress level, the initial density of the soil mass, and the angularity of the particles. The soil specimen preparation method, the rate of shearing, and the thickness of the soil specimen had little influence on the measured interface friction coefficients. The characteristics of FRP-sand and steel-sand interfaces were compared.     

Flexural Behavior of Concrete-Filled Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Circular Tubes

This paper presents the experimental results of large-scale concrete-filled glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) circular tubes and control hollow GFRP and steel tubes tested in bending. The diameter of the beams ranged from 89 to 942 mm and the spans ranged from 1.07 to 10.4 m. The study investigated the effects of concrete filling, cross-sectional configurations including tubes with a central hole, tube-in-tube with concrete filling in between, and different laminate structures of the GFRP tubes. The study demonstrated the benefits of concrete filling, and showed that a higher strength-to-weight ratio can be achieved by providing a central hole. The results indicated that the flexural behavior is highly dependent on the stiffness and diameter-to-thickness ratio of the tube, and, to a much less extent, on the concrete strength. Test results suggest that the contribution of concrete confinement to the flexural strength is insignificant; however, the ductility of the member is improved. A strain compatibility model has been developed, verified by the experimental results, and used to provide a parametric study of the different parameters, significantly affecting the behavior. The parametric study covered a wide range of FRP sections filled with concrete, including under-reinforced, balanced, and over-reinforced sections.     

Behavior of a Fiber-Reinforced Bentonite at Large Shear Displacements

The behavior of a polypropylene fiber-reinforced bentonite was evaluated at large shear displacements by a series of ring shear tests carried out at normal stresses varying between 20 and 400?kPa. Bentonite/polypropylene fiber composites were molded at an initial moisture content of 170%, with fiber lengths of 12 or 24?mm. The fiber thickness was 0.023?mm and the fiber content was either 1.5 or 3% by dry weight. The inclusion of randomly distributed fibers increased the peak shear strength of the bentonite, but the increase in strength deteriorated at large displacements and the residual strengths of both the nonreinforced and fiber-reinforced bentonite were similar. The peak shear strength was found to increase both with increasing fiber length and content. The fibers were exhumed after testing and it was found that the fibers had both extended and broken, with a predominance of broken fibers.     

Mechanical Behavior of Fiber-Reinforced Polymer-Wrapped Concrete Columns—Complicating Effects

The present study focuses on the mechanical response of concrete columns confined with fiber-reinforced polymer composites (FRP). Practical columns often deviate from axisymmetric conditions due to noncircular cross section, geometric imperfections, and loading eccentricities. This paper discusses these complicating effects on the mechanical behavior of columns confined with FRP. Experiments have been carried out to examine the effects of geometric and loading imperfections on columns of various shapes. A model originally developed for axisymmetric situations has been extended to include the complicating effects. An analytical study for the corner radius that avoids concentration of stress is carried out. The theoretical models have been verified with the present and published experimental results.     

Behavior of Compacted Soil-Fly Ash-Carbide Lime Mixtures

Unconfined compression tests, Brazilian tensile tests, and saturated drained triaxial compression tests with local strain measurement were carried out to evaluate the stress-strain behavior of a sandy soil improved through the addition of carbide lime and fly ash. The effects of initial and pozzolanic reactions were investigated. The addition of carbide lime to the soil-fly ash mixture caused short-term changes due to initial reactions, inducing increases in the friction angle, in the cohesive intercept, and in the average modulus. Such improvement might be of fundamental importance to allow site workability and speeding construction purposes. In addition, under the effect of initial reactions, the maximum triaxial stiffness occurred for specimens molded on the dry side of the optimum moisture content, while the maximum strength occurred at the optimum moisture content. After 28 days, pozzolanic reactions magnified brittleness and further increased triaxial peak strength and stiffness; the maximum triaxial strength and stiffness occurred on the dry side of the optimum moisture content.     

Seismic Behavior of High-Strength Concrete Columns Confined by Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Tubes

The use of high-strength concrete (HSC) in seismically active regions poses a major concern because of the brittle nature of material. The confinement requirements for HSC columns may be prohibitively stringent when ordinary grade transverse steel reinforcement is used. An alternative to conventional confinement reinforcement is the use of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) tubes in the form of stay-in-place formwork which can fulfill multiple functions of: (1) formwork; (2) confinement reinforcement; and (3) protective shell against corrosion, weathering and chemical attacks. The use of stay-in-place FRP formwork is investigated as concrete confinement reinforcement for HSC and normal strength concrete (NSC) columns with circular cross sections. Large-scale specimens with 270?mm circular cross-sections and different concrete strengths were tested under constant axial compression and incrementally increasing lateral deformation reversals. FRP tubes were manufactured from carbon fiber sheets and epoxy resin. The results indicate that inelastic deformability of HSC and NSC columns can be improved significantly by using FRP tubes, beyond the performance level usually expected of comparable columns confined with conventional steel reinforcement.     

Behavior of Short and Deep Beams Made of Concrete-Filled Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Tubes

Behavior of short and deep beams made of concrete-filled fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) tubes (CFFT) was compared experimentally to that of their slender counterparts. Ten specimens made from four types of glass FRP tubes with different fiber architecture and lamina lay-up were tested with shear span to depth ratio between 0.9 and 6.25, diameter to thickness ratio between 16 and 63, and reinforcement index between 0.11 and 2.2. The study extended the test database of CFFTs to the lowest practical limit of shear span to depth ratio. None of the CFFT beams tested, even with the lowest shear span to depth ratio of 0.9, failed in shear. Tensile bending strains at the bottom of the midspan section of the beams always remained higher than the respective diagonal tensile strain at the midpoint of the shear span. Web shear cracks were observed only in the concrete core of deep CFFT beams with high reinforcement index. Following the first flexural crack, the concrete core began to slip relative to the FRP tube. This lack of composite action made shear less critical than flexure. Finally, short and deep CFFT beams exhibited higher bending capacity than their slender counterparts, primarily due to the direct diagonal compression strut that develops in the concrete core through arching action.     

Short-Term Behavior and Design of Fiber-Reinforced Polymeric Slender Members under Axial Compression

Presented in this paper are results of an experimental investigation pertaining to the short-term behavior of concentrically loaded fiber-reinforced polymeric composite slender members. Tested members had box and I-shape cross sections and were pultruded using a vinylester matrix containing flame retardant additives reinforced with E-glass roving and nonwoven mats. Material properties for each tested member are used in a limit state predictor equation to correlate the experimental and the predicted results. Design guidelines and a step-by-step example are also presented.     

Behavior of Aramid Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Reinforced High Strength Concrete Beams under Bending

Flexural test results of ten high strength concrete beams reinforced with aramid fiber-reinforced polymer (AFRP) bars together with a steel-reinforced beam that served as a reference are presented and discussed. All beams were tested under third-point loading. Test results have shown that a concrete beam, when reinforced with AFRP bars, becomes more flexible in the postcracking range than an equivalent steel-reinforced beam, demonstrates wider and predominantly vertical cracks even in the shear span, and may fail in an unusual flexure-shear mode. Major critical issues concerning flexural designs of AFRP-reinforced beams have been discussed in the perspective of code provisions, and suitable recommendations are made for practical design. A method has been suggested to provide a meaningful quantification of ductility for FRP-reinforced beams. Also the need for reducing the maximum spacing of stirrups from that specified in the current code provisions for sections subjected to large shear combined with significant bending moment has been identified and recommendations are made.     

Behavior of Concrete Beams Strengthened with Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Laminates under Impact Loading

Most of the research on application of composite materials in civil engineering during the past decade has concentrated on the behavior of structural elements under static loads. In engineering practice, there are many situations in which structures undergo impact or dynamic loading. In particular, the impact response of concrete beams strengthened with composite materials is of interest. This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation conducted to study the impact effects on concrete beams strengthened with fiber-reinforced polymer laminates. Two types of composite laminates, carbon and Kevlar, were bonded to the top and bottom faces of concrete beams with epoxy. Five beams were tested: two strengthened with Kevlar laminates, two strengthened with carbon laminates, and one unretrofitted beam as the control specimen. The impact load was applied by dropping a steel cylinder from a specified height onto the top face of the beam. The test results revealed that composite laminates significantly increased the capacity of the concrete beams to resist impact load. In addition, the laminates reduced the deflection and crack width. Comparing the test results of the beams strengthened with Kevlar and carbon laminates indicated that the gain in strength depends on the type, thickness, weight, and material properties of the composite laminate.     

Mechanical Stabilization of Cemented Soil–Fly Ash Mixtures with Recycled Plastic Strips

An experimental investigation was undertaken to evaluate the mechanical behavior of a soil–cement–fly ash composite, reinforced with recycled plastic strips (high-density polyethylene) that were obtained from postconsumer milk and water containers. The primary motivation for the study was to investigate the innovative reuse of several candidate waste materials in geotechnical and pavement applications. The specific objectives of the research were: (1) to evaluate the compressive, split tensile, and flexural strength characteristics of the material, and (2) to determine the effectiveness of recycled plastic strips in enhancing the toughness characteristics of the composite. Since cement-stabilized materials are weak in tension, the main focus of the experimental program was to conduct a series of specially instrumented split tensile and flexural tests on mixes containing various amounts of cement, fly ash, and plastic strips. For a meaningful comparison of test results, all specimens were prepared at a constant dry density. The standard ASTM C496 procedure for split tensile test was slightly modified by attaching two horizontal linear variable differential transformers (LVDTs) to measure the diametral deformation of the specimen due to compressive loading in an orthogonal direction. This modification enabled the evaluation of the postpeak toughness behavior of the composite. For some specimens, a strain gauge was attached to the middle of the face perpendicular to the loading plane in order to correlate the results with the one found using the LVDTs. All tests were performed with a 90 kN universal testing machine with deformation control. Experimental data show that the soil–cement matrix stabilized with 4% to 10% by weight of fly ash and reinforced with 0.25% to 0.5% (by weight) plastic strips (having lengths of 19 mm or 38 mm) can achieve a maximum compressive strength of 7000 kPa, a split tensile strength of 1000 kPa, and a flexural strength of 1200 kPa. These ranges in strength values are suitable for a high-quality stabilized base course for a highway pavement. To quantify the reinforcing effects in the postpeak region, a dimensionless toughness index is proposed. It is found that the use of fiber reinforcement significantly increases the postpeak load carrying capacity of the mix and thus the fracture energy. It is concluded that the lean cementitious mix containing recycled materials offer a lot of promise as an alternative material for civil engineering construction.     

Shear Strength Behavior of Fiber-Reinforced Sand Considering Triaxial Tests under Distinct Stress Paths

The results of drained triaxial tests on fiber reinforced and nonreinforced sand (Osorio sand) specimens are presented in this work, considering effective stresses varying from 20 to 680?kPa and a variety of stress paths. The tests on nonreinforced samples yielded effective strength envelopes that were approximately linear and defined by a friction angle of 32.5° for the Osorio sand, with a cohesion intercept of zero. The failure envelope for sand when reinforced with fibers was distinctly nonlinear, with a well-defined kink point, so that it could be approximated by a bilinear envelope. The failure envelope of the fiber-reinforced sand was found to be independent of the stress path followed by the triaxial tests. The strength parameters for the lower-pressure part of the failure envelope, where failure is governed by both fiber stretching and slippage, were, respectively, a cohesion intercept of about 15?kPa and friction angle of 48.6?deg. The higher-pressure part of the failure envelope, governed by tensile yielding or stretching of the fibers, had a cohesion intercept of 124?kPa, and friction angle of 34.6?deg. No fiber breakage was measured and only fiber extension was observed. It is, therefore, believed that the fibers did not break because they are highly extensible, with a fiber strain at failure of 80%, and the necessary strain to cause fiber breakage was not reached under triaxial conditions at these stress and strain levels.     

Microplane Model M5f for Multiaxial Behavior and Fracture of Fiber-Reinforced Concrete

Despite impressive advances, the existing constitutive and fracture models for fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) are essentially limited to uniaxial loading. The microplane modeling approach, which has already been successful for concrete, rock, clay, sand, and foam, is shown capable of describing the nonlinear hardening–softening behavior and fracturing of FRC under not only uniaxial but also general multiaxial loading. The present work generalizes model M5 for concrete without fibers, the distinguishing feature of which is a series coupling of kinematically and statically constrained microplane systems. This feature allows simulating the evolution of dense narrow cracks of many orientations into wide cracks of one distinct orientation. The crack opening on a statically constrained microplane is used to determine the resistance of fibers normal to the microplane. An effective iterative algorithm suitable for each loading step of finite element analysis is developed, and a simple sequential procedure for identifying the model parameters from test data is formulated. The model allows a close match of published test data on uniaxial and multiaxial stress–strain curves, and on multiaxial failure envelopes.     

Behavior of Composite Unreinforced Masonry–Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Wall Assemblages Under In-Plane Loading

An experimental investigation was conducted to study the in-plane behavior of face shell mortar bedded unreinforced masonry (URM) wall assemblages retrofitted with fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) laminates. Forty-two URM assemblages were tested under different stress conditions present in masonry shear and infill walls. Tests included prisms loaded in compression with different bed joint orientation (on/off-axis compression), diagonal tension specimens, and specimens loaded under joint shear. The behavior of each specimen type is discussed with emphasis on modes of failure, strength and deformation characteristics. Results showed that the application of FRP laminates on URM has a great influence on strength, postpeak behavior, as well as altering failure modes and maintaining the specimen integrity. The retrofitted specimens reached compressive strength of 1.62–5.64 times that of their unretrofitted counterparts, depending on the bed joint orientation, and joint shear strength increased by eightfold.     

Static and Dynamic Behavior of High- and Ultrahigh-Performance Fiber-Reinforced Concrete Precast Bridge Parapets

New designs of precast bridge parapets made with fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) were developed using nonlinear finite-element calculations. Specific properties of high- and ultrahigh-performance FRC were exploited in these designs. The conventional reinforcement required in the FRC precast parapets varied from 0 to 50% when compared with a reference built-on-site parapet. An extensive experimental program was carried out to verify the performance of the FRC precast parapets. The parapet mechanical behavior was established under quasi-static tests and under dynamic loading replicating a vehicle impact. The results of the quasi-static tests indicate that precast FRC parapets possess the required strength and have ductility comparable to reference parapets. Quasi-static tests carried out after the dynamic tests indicate that the residual strength of the parapets corresponds to 75 to 100% of their original capacity. The finite-element model adopted in the project satisfactorily reproduced the strength, stiffness, and failure mode of the parapets. Finally, the system efficiency of precast FRC parapets was established for their application in a typical urban bridge project, considering the mechanical performance, the fabrication costs, and the required installation time.     

Residual Behavior of Fire-Exposed Reinforced Concrete Beams Prestrengthened in Flexure with Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Sheets

Numerous research studies have shown externally bonded fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) materials can be used efficiently and economically to repair and retrofit deteriorated or understrength concrete structures. FRP materials are being widely applied in the rehabilitation of deteriorated bridges, however, their use in buildings has been limited, partly because of insufficient knowledge about the performance of FRP materials in fire. To enable further applications of FRPs in buildings, this paper presents a study on the residual performance after fire of four reinforced-concrete (RC) T-beams that were prestrengthened with externally bonded FRP sheets and provided with a supplemental fire protection system. Results from this study suggest that the RC beams strengthened with FRPs prior to fire exposure retained most of their initial unstrengthened flexural capacity after fire. This is attributed to the fact that the temperature of the internal concrete and reinforcing steel was kept to below 200 and 593°C, respectively.     

Behavior of Bond-Critical Regions Wrapped with Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Sheets in Normal and High-Strength Concrete

This paper reports on the third phase of a multiphase study undertaken at the American University of Beirut (AUB) to examine the effect of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) sheets in confining tension lap splice regions in reinforced concrete beams. Results of the first two phases showed that glass and carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP and CFRP) sheets were effective in increasing the bond strength and improving the ductility of the mode of failure of tension lap splices in high-strength concrete (HSC) beams with nominal concrete strength of 70 MPa. The experimental results of the two phases were used to propose a new FRP confinement parameter, Ktr,f, that accounts for the bond strength contribution of FRP sheets wrapping tension lap splice regions in HSC beams. In this third phase of the AUB study, the trend of the results of phases 1 and 2 and the validity of the analytical model proposed were verified if normal-strength concrete (NSC) is used instead of HSC. Seven beams with nominal concrete strength of 27.58 MPa (4 ksi) were tested in positive bending. Each beam was designed with a tension lap splice in a constant moment region in the midspan of the beam. The main test variables were the configuration (1 strip, 2 strips, or a continuous strip) and the number of layers (1 layer or 2 layers) of the CFRP sheets wrapping the splice region. The test results demonstrated that CFRP sheets were effective in enhancing the bond strength and ductility of failure mode of tension lap splices in NSC in a very similar way to HSC. In addition, the FRP confinement index proposed earlier for HSC was proven to be valid in the case of NSC.     

Long-Term Deflection and Cracking Behavior of Concrete Beams Prestressed with Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Tendons

This paper discusses the experimental result on the long-term deflection and cracking behavior of concrete beams prestressed with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) tendons, under sustained long-term service load, including cracked and uncracked sections. Six full-scale beams were cast and tested. The experimental parameters included the level of prestress, the level of sustained service loading, and concrete strengths. The experimental results showed that the performance of concrete beams prestressed with CFRP tendons meets the serviceability criteria in terms of deflection and cracking. The test results also showed that the long-term performance of concrete beams prestressed with CFRP tendons was comparable to those prestressed with steel tendons. Furthermore, the test results showed that with the increase of concrete strength, the serviceability performance also improved with concrete beams prestressed with CFRP tendons.