Numerical analysis of the failure mode of reinforced concrete beams with glass fiber reinforced polymer bars

The durability of reinforced concrete structures can vary significantly depending on their specific application. One of the elements that has a negative impact on this durability is the corrosion of steel bars. In this context, several studies have been conducted with the aim of mitigating the incidence of this phenomenon, and such efforts include the replacement of conventional carbon steel bars with glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars. The primary aim of this study is to analyze the impact of concrete properties on concrete beams reinforced with GFRP concerning bending stiffness and failure mode. To achieve this analysis, numerical simulations using the finite element method were carried out using the educational version of the Abaqus software. The most significant results of this investigation indicate that varying the αE parameter, parameter depending on the type of aggregate used according to NBR 6118 (2014), for beams using steel as the reinforcement material is more advantageous in terms of increasing load capacity, when compared to varying the fck. However, the opposite behavior was observed in the beams using GFRP as the reinforcing material. In addition, it can be seen that the failure mode presented significant changes when the steel reinforcement is partially replaced by GFRP, due to the brittle nature inherent in the material.