Concrete has many advantages as a low cost and sustainable material. However, more than 5% of the planet’s total carbon emissions are associated with the production of cement, which, in fact, is predominantly due to the large volume of concrete used worldwide. It is known that traditionally designed concrete structures typically use more material than structurally required and, therefore, an important question is whether material demand can be reduced through structural optimisation. A major drawback from optimised design, however, is the cost and complexity of producing conventional rigid moulds. Fabric formwork is emerging as a new method for construction, gaining popularity among architects and engineers for the opportunity to build unique forms and to shape concrete elements efficiently. Porous fabrics, acting as controlled permeability formwork, also have proven effect on the durability characteristics of concrete. While fabric formwork has a profound potential to change the appearance of concrete structures, the shapes cast in fabrics are not defined in advance and have been often created unintentionally. The design of load-bearing reinforced concrete structures, however, requires accurate form-prediction and construction methods for securing steel reinforcement inside flexible fabrics, which presents a number of constructability challenges. For example, cover formers cannot be used to ensure adequate thickness of protective cover, inevitably affecting the acceptance of such structures in practice. This research has demonstrated that non-corrodable FRP reinforcement can be incorporated more easily than steel bars in fabric-formed concrete due to its light weight and flexibility, while it is possible to ensure ductility of such structures through confinement of concrete using FRP helices. A novel splayed anchorage system has been developed to provide end anchorage for optimised sections where standard bends or hooks cannot fit. This work also provides an experimentally verified methodology and guidance for the design and optimisation of fabric-formed elements.

The final thesis consists of three main parts, each covering a certain aspect of investigation. First chapter presents an extensive literature review, covering such aspects as: application of FRP (fiber reinforced polymer) materials in modern-day civil engineering, characteristics of FRP reinforcement for reinforced concrete structures, advantages and drawbacks of FRP rebars compared to traditional materials, peculiarities of flexural behavior of FRP reinforced members, review of existing empirical stress-strain calculation algorithms and building codes for concrete members reinforced with FRP. Second part aims at presenting gathered experimental data consisting of 51 FRP reinforced flexural members under 4 point bending scheme. Taking into account such parameters as reinforcement ratio, load intensity and elasticity modulus of FRP reinforcement, statistical analysis on a number of calculation algorithms and building codes is performed in order to evaluate their credibility and reliability for use in real-world structures. The final part of the work presents a Simplified Discrete Crack model developed in VGTU Department of Bridges and Special Structures. The model is applied for a series of collected beams. The results are compared with theoretical predictions made by different design codes and experimental values. The final thesis consists of: 90 pages of text (without appendixes), 46 pictures, 17 tables. 3 appendixes are included. Literature list consisting of 82... [to full text] / Baigiamąjį magistro darbą sudaro trys pagrindinės dalys. Pirmajame skyriuje pateikiama literatūros apžvalga, kurioje nagrinėjamos temos susijusios su pluoštinės armatūros panaudojimu lenkiamiems betoniniams elementams. Apžvelgiamos tokių elementų panaudojimo galimybės, privalumai ir trūkumai, deformacijų skaičiavimo metodai bei matematiniai modeliai. Antrajame skyriuje nagrinėjama surinkta polimerine armatūra armuotų sijų eksperimentinių duomenų imtis. Siekiant įvertinti skirtingų skaičiavimo metodų patikimumą ir pritaikomumą ne plienine armatūra armuotiems elementams, atliekama lyginamoji statistinė analizė. Jos metu įvertinama armavimo procento, apkrovimo lygio bei pluoštinės armatūros tamprumo modulio įtaka. Trečiojoje darbo dalyje surinktai eksperimentinių duomenų imčiai pritaikytas VGTU Tiltų ir Specialiųjų Statinių Katedroje sukurtas Diskrečiųjų plyšių modelis. Gautos priklausomybės palygintos su kitų skaičiavimo normų rezultatais bei eksperimentiniais duomenimis. Gauti rezultatai parodė, kad pritaikius tikslesnius praslydimo bei armatūros ir betono sąveikos ruožuose tarp plyšių modelius, diskrečiųjų plyšių modelis gali būti sėkmingai taikomas polimerine armatūra armuotų elementų elgsenai prognozuoti.

yes / This paper presents an analytical procedure based on the stiffness matrix method for deflection prediction of concrete structures reinforced with fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) bars. The variation of flexural stiffness of cracked FRP reinforced concrete members has been evaluated using various available models for the effective moment of inertia. A reduced shear stiffness model was also employed to account for the variation of shear stiffness in cracked regions. Comparisons between results obtained from the proposed analytical procedure and experiments of simply and continuously supported FRP reinforced concrete beams show good agreement. Bottom FRP reinforcement at midspan section has a significant effect on the reduction of FRP reinforced concrete beam deflections. The shear deformation effect was found to be more influential in continuous FRP reinforced concrete beams than simply supported beams. The proposed analytical procedure forms the basis for the analysis of concrete frames reinforced with FRP concrete members.

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The diploma thesis deals with the study of bent FRP reinforcements with the main focus on the methods of production of bent FRP reinforcement, examples of their application in structures. The work also mentions the effects of aggressive environments on the durability of FRP. In the practical part, a search of the possibilities of testing the properties of bent FRP reinforcement. Subsequently, an experiment is designed and performed to monitor changes in the properties of straight and bent FRP reinforcement exposed to the alkaline environment and water at 20 °C and 40 °C. Finally, the evaluation of changes in mechanical properties and observation of reinforcements using optical and scanning electron microscopy is performed.

The diploma thesis aims to analyze bent FRP reinforcements. It describes the method of production of bent FRP reinforcement, examples of application of FRR reinforcement in structures and mentions aggressive influences influencing the durability of FRP reinforcement. Furthermore, an experiment is proposed to monitor changes in straight and bent FRP reinforcement stored in an aqueous environment at 20 °C and an alkaline environment at 20 °C and 40 °C. The output of the diploma thesis is the evaluation of changes in mechanical properties and durability. The condition of the FRP reinforcement is documented using optical and electron mocroscopy.

Dans le cadre de la mise à niveau sismique des bâtiments existants, la technique de renforcement par placage et enrobage de polymères renforcés de fibres (FRP) offre une réponse pertinente. L’objectif de cette thèse est de proposer une modélisation fiable pour la détermination de la réponse quasi-statique et dynamique d’une grande variété d’éléments de structure et d’identifier les apports possibles d’une telle modélisation à la conception. Les stratégies de modélisation s’appuient sur l’utilisation d’éléments finis massifs ou basés sur une cinématique simplifiée (coques multicouches et poutres multifibres), associés à des modèles locaux d’endommagement et de plasticité pour les matériaux en présence (béton, armatures et FRP). L’hypothèse d’adhérence parfaite, d’une part, entre les armatures et le béton, et d’autre part, entre les bandes de FRP et le béton, permet de calculer efficacement les cas des poteaux courants, des poteaux courts, des voiles longs et courts, dans les régimes quasi-statique (pushover) et dynamique. Le renforcement par placage et enrobage FRP pour des structures en béton armé, est reproduit au sein de la modélisation par un apport de matière (éléments de type barre avec les caractéristiques propres des FRP) et des modifications des paramètres de la loi de comportement du béton, justifiées par l’expérimentation et la littérature. La pertinence de l’approche est finalement démontrée en confrontant la réponse temporelle de structures à l’échelle 1, de type ossature ou de type contreventé par des voiles, aux résultats expérimentaux issus de benchmarks internationaux. / In the context of the building’s protection against seismic risk, the strengthening technique by FRP (Fiber Reinforced Polymers) plating and wrapping provides a relevant solution. The objective of this thesis is to propose a reliable modeling for determining the quasi-static and dynamic responses of a wide variety of structural elements and to draw advantage in design. The modeling strategies make use of 3D elements or finite elements based on simplified kinematics (multilayer shells or multifiber beams), associated with local damage and plasticity laws for the constitutive materials (concrete, rebar and FRP). The perfect bond assumption between steel-concrete and FRP-concrete allows efficiently calculating the quasi-static and dynamic behaviors of short and slender columns, as well as short and slender walls. The mechanical contribution of FRP plating and wrapping is reproduced in the modeling by adding material (bar type elements with FRP characteristics) and by changing the parameters of the concrete model on the basis of the experience and analytical formula issued from the literature. The relevance of the approach is finally highlighted by comparing the time-history response of real braced frame or wall structures with the experimental results.

This diploma thesis presents available FRP software for calculating load bearing capacity of the structures reinforced with FRP and compares them between each other. Furthermore theory and algorithm of my own software is presented here. Load bearing capacity of structures which are reinforced with non-metallic reinforcement and loaded by combination of normal force and bending moment can be solved by my programme. Effects of high temperatures on the concrete structures can be included in the calculation. In the second part of the thesis is calculated load-bearing capacity and deflection of the real beam reinforced with FRP reinforcement and load-bearing capacity of member with FRP reinforcement with effect of elevated temperature. This has been done using my software. Comparison of results from hand calculation and laboratory load-bearing testing is done at the end. This laboratory testing was accomplished by Institute of Concrete and Mansory Structures at our faculty.