Flexural Behavior of Two-Span Continuous CFRP RC Beams

This paper investigates the feasibility of replacing steel bars with carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) bars in continuous reinforced concrete (RC) beams. A numerical model is introduced. Model predictions are compared with the experimental results that are available in the literature. A comprehensive numerical investigation is then performed on two-span CFRP/steel RC beams with ρ(b)(2) = 0.61–3.03% and ρ(b)(1)/ρ(b)(2) = 1.5, where ρ(b)(1) and ρ(b)(2) are tensile bar ratios (ratios of tensile bar area to effective cross-sectional area of beams) over positive and negative moment regions, respectively. The study shows that replacing steel bars with CFRP bars greatly improves the crack mode at a low bar ratio. The ultimate load of CFRP RC beams is 89% higher at ρ(b)(2) = 0.61% but 7.2% lower at ρ(b)(2) = 3.03% than that of steel RC beams. In addition, CFRP RC beams exhibit around 13% greater ultimate deflection compared to steel RC beams. The difference of moment redistribution between CFRP and steel RC beams diminishes as ρ(b)(2) increases. ACI 318-19 appears to be conservative, and it leads to more accurate predictions of moment redistribution in CFRP RC beams than that in steel RC beams.