Shear strength of fiber reinforced concrete beams was studied in this research project. Three types of fibers were examined: hooked-end steel fiber, crimped-steel fiber, and crimped-monofilament polypropylene fibers. The experimental program included five beam specimens. Two of the beams were control specimens in which one was reinforced with minimum shear reinforcement according to ACI 318, while the other one did not have any shear reinforcement. Each one of the other three specimens was reinforced with one of the above mentioned fibers by 1% volumetric ratio. In addition to the beam specimens, three prisms were also made for each type fiber to determine their toughness. The aim of this research was to investigate the following questions for medium-high concrete strength 1) to evaluate the effectiveness of each type of fibers on the shear strength, 2) to investigate the shear strength, toughness, crack patterns and near ultimate load crack width of each beam, and 3) to determine if using 1% volumetric ratio of fibers as shear reinforcement in beams would provide adequate strength and stiffness properties comparable to reinforcing steel used as minimum shear reinforcement. The results showed that all three types of fibers increased the shear capacity of the beam specimens more than the beam reinforced with minimum shear reinforcement. Moreover, some of the fibers used could shift the type of failure from a pure shear failure to a combined flexural-shear or pure flexural failure.

This report details the design and construction of an AASHTO Type IV prestressed girder and a PCI BT-56 prestressed girder. It also details the shear testing and shear performance of the BT-56 girder. The results are compared with results from previous research dating back to 1986. Finally, all research was compared with the AASHTO Standard (2002), AASHTO LRFD (1998) and AASHTO LRFD (2004) Specifications to examine thier overall accuracy in predicting shear strengths.

A special problem in many reinforced concrete structures built in the 1970s and earlier is the lack of continuity between elements. Continuity is a characteristic of structures essential to preventing collapse. Therefore, in extreme loading conditions such as loss of a column support due to terrorist attack or if earthquake or other extreme actions occur, the structures could be vulnerable to collapse. The study reported here focused on two structural discontinuities in existing reinforced concrete structures, discontinuity in bottom reinforcement in beams (horizontal discontinuity) and poorly detailed lap splices in columns (vertical discontinuity). The objective of this study was to develop rehabilitation methods using CFRP to provide continuity of reinforcement in existing structures. To develop the rehabilitation methods, two separate experimental studies were conducted using beam and column specimens. CFRP materials were applied to the bottom or side face of a beam and anchored using CFRP anchors or U-wraps to provide horizontal continuity in bottom reinforcement and tested under dynamic loading. After CFRP rehabilitation, the ductility of the bottom reinforcement and large rotational capacity of the beam were realized. CFRP materials were also applied to the lap splice region in square and rectangular columns which exhibited a brittle splice failure as-built. After rehabilitating the columns using CFRP jackets and anchors, the failure mode changed from a brittle splice failure to yield of column reinforcement, and the strength and deformation capacity were improved under both monotonic and cyclic loading. Based on the results of beam and column tests, design guidelines for CFRP rehabilitation were proposed. Horizontal and vertical continuities can be provided through the use of CFRP for rehabilitating existing reinforced concrete structures that were designed prior to the introduction of codes that require continuous reinforcement along members and between adjacent members. The vulnerability of such structures to collapse can be reduced through rehabilitation. / text

Title page, abstract and table of contents only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University of Adelaide Library. / The major contribution of this thesis is towards the shear capacity and shear failure mechanism of reinforced concrete beams with adhesively bonded transverse near surface mounted fiber reinforced plastic plates. In shear strengthening, there are two forms of plate debonding that interact with each other consisting of intermediate crack debonding that is governed by the axial forces in the plate are induced by shear deformations. This research considers both forms of debonding and in particularl their interaction. -- From abstract. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1283733 / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2007

Title page, abstract and table of contents only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University of Adelaide Library. / The major contribution of this thesis is towards the shear capacity and shear failure mechanism of reinforced concrete beams with adhesively bonded transverse near surface mounted fiber reinforced plastic plates. In shear strengthening, there are two forms of plate debonding that interact with each other consisting of intermediate crack debonding that is governed by the axial forces in the plate are induced by shear deformations. This research considers both forms of debonding and in particularl their interaction. -- From abstract. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1283733 / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2007

M.Tech. (Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology), Vaal University of Technology / This research investigated the structural bond strength of GFRP rebars in concrete beams under dynamic loading with the aim to characterize the structural bond behaviour and evaluate the limitations of the GFRP rebars under dynamic loading. The dynamic loading in this study was set at 500 repeating cycles to simulate a more realistic dynamic loading scenario such as earthquake since most dynamic loading studies are carried under ten repeating cycles. The experimental work was divided into 2 main tests which were firstly, the tensile tests of the GFRP rebars in order to evaluate the tensile strength of the rebars and characterize their properties. Secondly, the flexural tests of GFRP and steel reinforced concrete beams in order to evaluate the bond strength of GFRP and steel rebars, to characterize the average bond strength of GFRP and steel reinforced concrete beams under dynamic loading and finally to compare the average bond strength of GFRP rebars to Steel rebars in both dynamic and static loadings. The tensile tests were carried out using a Universal Testing Machine (UTM) and the results of the tensile tests of the GFRP rebars showed that the average experimental tensile strength of GFRP rebars was only 56.65% of the nominal tensile strength provided on the supplier data sheet. As for flexural tests, they were carried out through a four-point bending test using a UTM in conjunction with a universal dynamic shaker to create the dynamic loading set up. Steel reinforced concrete beams were used as control beams during the tests and factors such as the tensile strength of the GFRP rebars, the slip of the rebars, the load-deflection relationship and the stress-strain relationship were investigated. The results of the tests showed that the tensile strength of the GFRP rebar is strongly proportional to the maximum beam load bearing capacity and the maximum stresses of GFRP reinforced concrete beams. The results also showed that the average bond strength of GFRP rebars in static loading (8.44 MPa) was only 80% of the average bond strength in dynamic loading (10.95 MPa). Moreover, the experimental work showed that the failure of GFRP reinforced concrete beams depicted large deflections (19 mm) and slips (5 mm to 12.5 mm) when compared to steel reinforced concrete beams (for which the maximum deflection was 9.66 mm at failure and slippage values of 2 mm to 10 mm). Based on that it could be stipulated that the tensile strength of GFRP rebars is one determinant factor to the bond strength behaviour of GFRP rebars in concrete. Hence, the structural bond behaviour of GFRP rebars could be well-defined if more studies were done on the bond behaviour of GFRP rebars in concrete beams under dynamic loading using another type of GFRP rebars that would consist of a relatively high tensile strength as compared to the ones used in this study and different surface texture.

Este trabalho tem como objeto o estudo do efeito da rigidez de pilar parede no comportamento estrutural de edifícios de concreto armado submetidos a sismos. Foram consideradas as premissas da norma brasileira ABNT NBR15421:2006, que apresenta os critérios para projeto de estruturas resistentes a sismo. A análise linear com emprego dos métodos da norma - método das forças horizontais equivalentes, método espectral e histórico de aceleração no tempo - foi aplicada em edifícios com dois tipos de sistemas estruturais, sendo eles pórtico de concreto e sistema dual pórtico de concreto e pilar parede. Os resultados foram analisados nos pórticos de extremidade das estruturas nos sentidos longitudinal (x) e transversal (y), comparando-se os deslocamentos de cada pavimento e esforços cortantes, momento fletor e normal nas bases dos pilares. A comparação foi realizada entre os três métodos aplicados e os sistemas estruturais analisados. / The aim of this work is to study the stiffness effect of wall columns on structural behavior of reinforced concrete buildings subjected to seismic action. The premises of the Brazilian standard ABNT NBR14521:2006 were considered, which presents criteria for earthquake resistant design of structures. The linear analysis employed the methods of the Brazilian standard - equivalent static load method, response spectrum analysis and time history method - were applied to buildings with two types of structural systems, namely concrete frame and dual system concrete frame and wall columns. The results were analyzed in edge frames structures in the longitudinal and transverse directions, comparing the displacement of each floor and shear, bending moment and axial forces on the bases of the columns. A comparison was made between the three methods applied and the structural systems analyzed.