Numerical simulation on the performance concrete short beams reinforced with <scp>BFRP</scp> and steel bars

Abstract This study aimed to numerically explore the structural performance of concrete short beams reinforced with fiber‐reinforced polymer (FRP) and steel bars without shear reinforcement. Through the ABAQUS program, a three‐dimensional finite element model was developed using existing experimental data. Subsequently, a numerical study was proposed investigating the structural behavior of hybrid reinforced concrete short beams. The effect of critical factors such as reinforcement type and ratio, FRP‐to‐steel ratio , shear span‐to‐depth ratio , beam thickness, and reinforcement arrangement were analyzed. The numerical results indicated that hybrid‐reinforced concrete (RC) beams exhibited a slightly lower load‐carrying capacity but demonstrated better post‐cracking stiffness compared to beams reinforced with pure Basalt‐FRP bars. The shear capacity of the hybrid‐RC short beams was enhanced by increasing the effective reinforcement ratio, ratio and the beam thickness. Conversely, decreasing the ratio resulted in a noticeable improvement in the shear capacity.