Parametric Analysis of Thermally Induced Stresses in GFRP-Reinforced Concrete
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64516/tujes.v7i2.70Keywords:
GFRP bars, thermal stresses, thermal cracking, concrete cover, bondAbstract
Thermally induced stresses resulting from the mismatch in transverse thermal expansion between Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) bars and concrete may significantly affect the serviceability and durability of GFRP-reinforced concrete members. This paper presents a comprehensive parametric analytical study on the development of radial tensile stresses at the GFRP bar–concrete interface under a uniform temperature increase of 50 °C. The analysis investigates the influence of key parameters, including concrete compressive strength, GFRP bar diameter, concrete cover thickness, and the transverse coefficient of thermal expansion of the GFRP bars. An established analytical model was employed to evaluate thermally induced stresses in concrete cylindrical specimens reinforced with GFRP bars of 13, 16, and 19 mm diameters.
The results indicate that concrete compressive strength has a limited effect on the magnitude of induced thermal stresses, whereas bar diameter and transverse thermal expansion of GFRP reinforcement are the dominant governing parameters. Larger bar diameters were found to generate significantly higher interfacial tensile stresses, increasing the potential for cracking and bond degradation. Increasing concrete cover thickness effectively reduced thermal stresses and limited their propagation toward the concrete surface. The study provides clear analytical insight into the thermal–mechanical interaction between concrete and GFRP reinforcement and offers practical guidance for the safe and economical design of GFRP-reinforced concrete structures exposed to temperature variations.
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