Journal of Polymer & Composites Review Article Special issue

Performance of GFRP Bars in Flexural Members: A Comparative Study with Metal Bars Using FEA and Experimental Study

  1. Siddharth Agrawal Department of Civil Engineering, Shri Ramdeobaba College of Engineering and Management, Nagpur
  2. Rajendra Khapre Department of Civil Engineering, Shri Ramdeobaba College of Engineering and Management, Nagpur
  3. Chetan Pawar Arch Bridge Technologies, Nagpur
  4. Anuj Shendre Power Arch Infratech, Nagpur

Abstract

In recent years, GFRP bars have been introduced as a replacement for metal bars as reinforcement in flexural members. This study evaluates the use of GFRP bars as the main reinforcement in flexural members such as beams through computer simulations and experimental work. A 4-meter beam from a sample structure, analyzed as per IS 875 (1987) Part 2, was considered for the study. This beam was designed considering both metal and GFRP bars to resist the designed bending moments. Finite element models of these beams were developed and analyzed in ANSYS. An experimental setup was prepared for beams with a 500 mm length, reinforced with 6 mm and 20 mm GFRP bars. These beams were tested for flexure as per IS 516 (2021): Part 1. Finite element models of these beams were also developed and analyzed using ANSYS. These models were further analyzed by replacing GFRP bars with their equivalent metal bars for comparison purposes. Simulation results showed that models with metal bars exhibited slightly lower deformation, resulting in higher stresses in the concrete and metal bars compared to those with GFRP bars. The experimental results demonstrated that larger GFRP bars provide greater strength. The findings suggest that GFRP bars are a viable alternative to metal bars for reinforcing beams, particularly for applications requiring high strength and reduced stress.

Keywords

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