Influence of bond on the hinge rotation of FRP plated beams

Abstract

Fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) plate reinforcement is a brittle material which has a brittle interfacial bond with concrete. This can lead to the misconception that all FRP retrofitting techniques provide brittle members and, hence, limited rotational capacity which has severe limitations for structural applications. This paper shows that the FRP reinforcement behaviour is but one of three components that govern the rotational capacity of plated reinforced concrete beam hinges. It is shown that FRP retrofitted beams and slabs can achieve ductile behaviour and provide rotational capacity and, furthermore, that the rotational capacity of FRP plated members depends very importantly on the interface bond characteristics.