Compressive Strength of Modified FRP Hybrid Bars

A new type of HFRP hybrid bars (hybrid fiber reinforced polymer) was introduced to increase the rigidity of FRP reinforcement, which was a basic drawback of the FRP bars used so far. Compared to the BFRP (basalt fiber reinforced polymer) bars, modification has been introduced in HFRP bars consisting of swapping basalt fibers with carbon fibers. One of the most important mechanical properties of FRP bars is compressive strength, which determines the scope of reinforcement in compressed reinforced concrete elements (e.g., column). The compression properties of FRP bars are currently ignored in the standards (ACI, CSA). The article presents compression properties for HFRP bars based on the developed compression test method. Thirty HFRP bars were tested for comparison with previously tested BFRP bars. All bars had a nominal diameter of 8 mm and their nonanchored (free) length varied from 50 to 220 mm. Test results showed that the ultimate compressive strength of nonbuckled HFRP bars as a result of axial compression is about 46% of the ultimate strength. In addition, the modulus of elasticity under compression does not change significantly compared to the modulus of elasticity under tension. A linear correlation of buckling load strength was proposed depending on the free length of HFRP bars.