Structural Behavior of Large-Scale Hollow Section RC Beams and Strength Enhancement Using Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) Composites

An experimental program was conducted to ascertain the efficiency of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) in enhancing the flexural response of hollow section reinforced concrete (RC) beams. Nine beams were tested under four-point bending in three groups. Beams were categorized to reflect the presence or configuration of the CFRP sheet. Each group consisted of three beams: one with a solid section, one with a square 50×50 mm × mm opening and 1 with 100×100 mm × mm opening. Beams in 1st group were tested in as-built conditions. Beams in the 2nd group were strengthened with a single CFRP sheet bonded to their bottom sides. Configuration of CFRP sheet was altered to U-shape applied to the tension side of 3rd group beams. The inclusion of openings, regardless of their size, did not result in degradation of ultimate load and corresponding deflections. However, cracking loads were found to decline as the opening size increased. Regardless of the opening size and CFRP configuration, ultimate loads of beams increased with the application of CFRP. However, this improvement was limited to the debonding and rupture of CFRP in group 2 and 3 beams, respectively. A comparison in the behavior of group 2 and 3 beams revealed that the application of the U-shape CFRP sheet yielded better flexural performance in comparison with the flat-CFRP sheet bonded to the bottom of beams. In the end, In order to further evaluate the economic and performance benefits of these beams, the cost-benefit analysis was also performed. The analysis showed that the feasibility of the hollow section RC beams is more than the solid section RC beams.

Experimental Investigation and Design of Hollow Section, Centrifugal Concrete-Filled GFRP Tube Columns

The compressive response of hollow section, centrifugal concrete-filled GFRP tube (HS-CFGT) members is examined experimentally and reported analytically in this paper. A total of 17 specimens separated into two groups were tested; the specimens in each group were of four different lengths and included thirteen straight columns and four tapered columns. The details of the test rigs, procedures as well as key test observations composed of ultimate-moment capacities, load-displacement curves, and failure modes were truthfully reported. The test results were analyzed to evaluate the influence of initial eccentricity on the structural performance. Therefore, the aim of this paper is: (1) to propose a proper coefficient, φe, reflecting the effect of initial eccentricity based on the Chinese design code; and (2) to determine a new confinement coefficient, kcc = 1.10, for centrifugal concrete confined by GFRP tubes. Comparisons of the present design codes and specifications of confined concrete members with test results on 17 full-scale tube columns are also presented. Accordingly, new design equations, whose predictions generally agree well with the test results, are recommended to estimate the compressive capacity of the proposed HS-CFGT columns.