Bond of GFRP bars in polymeric fiber reinforced concrete through lap splice in beams submitted to bending

Abstract Four beams were molded and tested using self-compacting concrete (SCC), two using polyolefin fibers and two without fibers. Two different lap splice lengths, twenty-five and forty diameters long, were tested using GFRP Brazilian bars. The test methodology included bending tests with lap splices of longitudinal reinforcement in GFRP in the middle third of the beams, in order to evaluate the bond stress at the interface between bars in GFRP and concrete. The conclusion is that longer lap splice lengths can reduce bond tension, increasing the ultimate load of the beams and that the use of polyolefin fibers increased the maximum bond stress by up to 57% and the ultimate load by up to 13%. The contribution of polyolefin fibers is more relevant for shorter lap splice lengths.