Fiber Reinforced Plastic Reinforcing Bars

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Fiber Reinforced Plastic Reinforcing Bars

• Timothy Kaucher, Margaret McMorrow
• Undergraduate Research
• Civil Engineering Department
• University of Southern California

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Introduction

• How could FRP rebar be better than steel rebar?
• Corrosion resistant
• Non-conductive
• Cost
• Light weight
• Ease of handling and installation
• Higher tensile strength

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Objective

• An investigation of the strength and mechanical
  behavior of FRP rebar yielded
• The stress-strain relationship
• Yield strength
• Ultimate strength
• Modulus of elasticity

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Experimental Program

• Specimen Preparation
• Use 20-inch samples three (3) 5 and three (3)
  3 FRP bars.
• Wrap ends in epoxy coated fiber.
• Sand down bar ribbing.
• Apply strain gauges.

5
Experimental Program

• Testing Method
• Fit specimen into UTM.
• Attach strain gauges to testing computer.
• Run tension test.
• Ensure that data was recorded correctly.
• Repeat for additional specimens.

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Data and Results
Bar Dimensions
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Data and Results
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Observations
From the strain gauges, we were able to construct
the following stress-strain relationships
3 FRP Rebar Test 1
3 FRP Rebar Test 2
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Observations
3 FRP Rebar Test 3
5 FRP Rebar Test 2
5 FRP Rebar Test 1
5 FRP Rebar Test 3
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Observations
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Observations
Properties of Steel Reinforcing Bars (Leet and
Bernal, 1997)
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Conclusion

• Ultimate strength less than that of steel
• Yield strength also less than that of steel
• Incorrect hypothesis

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Conclusion

• Possible Sources of Error
• Brittle versus ductile material
• Incorrect application of the fiber mesh
• Different wrapping materials
• Slippage

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Conclusion

• How could FRP rebar be improved?
• Use a more ductile polymer
• Additional testing of methods for applying fiber
  mesh
• Test different wrapping materials for minimal
  slippage
• Test other methods of slippage prevention

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AUTHORS