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Composites: Part B
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/compositesb
a r t i c l e
i n f o
Article history:
Received 13 August 2011
Received in revised form 8 November 2011
Accepted 5 March 2012
Available online 19 March 2012
Keywords:
A. Glass bres
B. Thermomechanical
C. Computational modeling
C. Finite element analysis (FEA)
a b s t r a c t
This paper aims to develop a 3D nonlinear nite element (FE) model that is capable of accurately predicting the performance of reinforced concrete (RC) beams reinforced with internal Glass Fiber-Reinforced
Polymer (GFRP) bars when exposed to re loading. The developed FE model is based on tested experimental data collected from the open literature. The model accounts for the variation in the thermal
and mechanical constituent materials with temperature associated with the RC beam. To study the heat
transfer mechanism and mechanical behavior of the RC beam, transient thermal-stress nite element
analysis is performed using the ANSYS. It was shown that the FE predicted temperature and mid-span
deection results are in a good agreement with that of the measured experimental data. The validated
FE model is used to conduct a parametric study to investigate the effect of the different parameters on
the exural performance of the reinforced beam specimens. The parametric study consisted of varying
the concrete cover thickness as well as exposing the FE model to different re curves. It is concluded that
successful FE modeling of this structure would provide an economical and alternative solution to expensive and time consuming experimental testing. Other observations and recommendations are also
discussed.
2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
1. Introduction
Recently, several experimental and analytical research projects
have been focused on the use of Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP)
materials as internal bars to reinforce structural concrete members
at ambient room temperature [14]. Their high strength to weight
ratio, ease of installation and resistance to corrosion are considered
one of the many advantageous of using FRP materials instead of ordinary steel reinforcement [5]. Because of their low glass temperature and complex natural composition, it is demonstrated that FRP
materials do not perform adequately under elevated temperatures
due to their rapid loss of mechanical properties and susceptible to
combustion [69]. Hence, the performance of strengthened or reinforced structural members with FRP materials under re scenarios
draws many questions and imposes doubts in this research area.
Unfortunately, limited experimental investigations have been conducted in the previous years due to the expensive experimental setups, tremendous amount of preparation and shortage of specialized
facilities [8]. Thus, the lack of knowledge regarding the performance of such materials under thermal effects warrants further
experimental, numerical and analytical investigations.
One key difference between the behavior of externally bonded
FRP strengthening systems and internally embedded FRP bars
under re scenarios is the lack of oxygen in the later, which would
Corresponding author. Tel.: +971 6 515 2496; fax: +971 6 515 2979.
E-mail address: rhaweeleh@aus.edu (R.A. Hawileh).
1359-8368/$ - see front matter 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2012.03.004
inhibit the burning of the FRP bars. Until, the increase in temperature reaches the resins glass temperature then, the resin matrix
starts to soften which would reduce the amount of stress transferred from the concrete to the embedded bre reinforcement.
Such phenomena would result in the increase of crack widths
and initiation of large deections [9]. In addition, researchers [9]
tried to develop temperature-dependant relationships relating
the degradation of mechanical material properties of FRP materials
when exposed to elevated temperatures. Saa [9] proposed temperature dependent relationships to mimic the degradation of
the mechanical material properties of different FRP and steel bars
under high temperatures effects.
Sadek et al. [10] compared in an experimental program the re
resistance endurance of RC beams reinforced with steel and GFRP
bars as well as the effect of concrete compressive strength. In their
experimental program, the beams were loaded up to 60% of their
ultimate loads during the course of the re test. The re loading
was simulated using the ASTM E119 [6] temperaturetime re
curve. The dominant failure mode was mainly the re penetration
through the wide cracks developed during testing. Large reduction
in re resistance due to the use of GFRP bars was observed compared to the beam reinforced with steel bars. It is worth mentioning that Sadek et al. [10] used 25 mm concrete cover to the exural
reinforcements, which contributed to the low performance observed in their experimental program.
Abbasi and Hogg [11] conducted two full scale re tests on RC
beams reinforced with Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) bars
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2. Analysis methodology
The steps used in the FE model development and thermal-stress
analysis of this structural member are:
1. Building a 3D FE model of the RC beam having the same geometry, materials (Concrete and GFRP bars) and boundary conditions, and loading. In order to perform thermal-stress analysis
thermal and structural elements are required. Thus, two models
were developed consisting of thermal and structural elements,
respectively.
2. The transient temperature versus time ISO834 [17] re curve is
applied in the thermal model to the soft and vertical sides of
the GFRP RC beam.
3. Validate the developed FE thermal model by comparing the predicted and measured temperature at different locations within
the beam cross section taken at mid-span.
4. A gravity load is applied to the top face of the beam in the
developed structural model to simulate the service dead and
live loads during re exposure. The predicted deection due
to gravity loads is compared to the measured experimental data
in order to validate the structural behavior of the model. Temperature nodal loads obtained from the thermal analysis of Step
2 are applied to the structural model at specied time points
(load steps and substeps). This will result in capturing the
deformation history along the entire structure during the
course of re exposure.
5. Compare the predicted and measured mid-span deection for
the entire re exposure to evaluate the performance of the
developed FE model.
6. The validated and veried FE model is extended to a parametric
study to investigate the effect of concrete cover thickness and
different standard re curves on the overall performance of
the GFRP RC beam.
3. Mathematical modeling
The 3D transient heat transfer governing equation as a function
of time is presented in Eq. (1). Eq. (1) is derived from the Law of
Conservation of Energy which states that the total inow of heat
in a unit time across a certain body must be equal to the total outow per unit time for the same body [20]. Furthermore, Eq. (1)
could be solved giving initial and boundary conditions on a part
or all the boundary of the domain. The initial conditions dene
the temperature distribution over the domain at the beginning of
the heat transfer (i.e. at t = 0). The initial and boundary conditions
are given by Eqs. (2) and (3), respectively.
qc
@T
@2T
@2T
@2T
k 2 k 2 k 2 S
@t
@x
@y
@z
Tx; y; z; 0 T 0 x; y; z; 0
k
@T
hc T s T f hr T s T f
@u
1
2
3
hr res T 2s T 2f T s T f
kfT n g cfT n g fF n g
where [k] is the element heat conduction and convection matrix, [c]
is the element heat capacity matrix, Tn is the element nodal temperature vector, Fn is the element nodal heat input vector.
The system is then summed up to collect the individual elements yielding the global system shown in the following equation:
where [K] is the global heat conduction and convection matrix, [C] is
the global heat capacity matrix, T is the global nodal temperature
vector, F is the global nodal heat input vector.
In the structural simulation Eq. (7) presents the equation that
relates the stresses with mechanical and thermal strain.
frg Dfe eT g
where {r} is the stress vector, [D] is the stiffness matrix used in the
structural simulation, {e} is the strain vector and {eT} is the temperature related total strain.
4. Finite element model development
The developed 3D FE model has the same geometry, material
properties, boundary conditions and loading as the GFRP RC beams
tested by Abbasi and Hogg [11]. The RC beams with GFRP bars have
a rectangular cross-section with height and width of 400 mm and
350 mm, respectively. The effective depth was 325 mm and the
clear concrete cover from the soft of the beam to the exural
reinforcement was 70 mm. The total length of the beam was
4400 mm with an effective span length of 4250 mm as shown in
Fig. 1. The beams were reinforced with nine 12.7 mm diameter
(Agfrp = 144.85 mm2) GFRP bars, seven at the tension side and two
at the compression zone of the beams cross-section. In addition,
9 mm diameter stirrups were used as shear reinforcements spaced
center to center at 160 mm.
The FE model was developed and simulated using the FE software, ANSYS 11.0 [18]. Fig. 2 shows a detailed view of the developed FE model. One quarter of the RC beam specimen was
modeled taking advantage of the symmetrical nature of the geometry, loading and boundary conditions resulting in a tremendous
reduction in the computational time. The symmetrical boundary
conditions were developed by applying vertical restrains (rollers)
in the two planes of symmetry, the transverse and longitudinal
directions.
Different thermal and structural element types were used in the
development of the FE model. The thermal elements used were SOLID70 and LINK33 [18] and the structural elements used in the
stress analysis were SOLID65, SOLID45 and LINK8 [18].
Both concrete material and steel supports were modeled in the
thermal simulation using SOLID70 [18]. SOLID70 has a 3-D thermal
conduction capability and eight nodes with a single degree of freedom (SDF) at each node, dened as temperature. The GFRP bars
were modeled using the thermal spar element, LINK33 [18].
LINK33 is a uniaxial element with the ability to conduct heat between its two nodes. The element has a one SDF, temperature at
2137
2138
First plane
of
symmetry
Second plane of
symmetry
GFRP Bars
Table 1
Material properties at ambient temperatures.
Material
Ex (GPa)
Ko (W/mm K)
Co (J/kg K)
aL (1/K)
aT (1/K)
q (kg/mm3)
Concrete
GFRP
30.5
40.8
0.20
0.28
2.7 103
4.0 105
722.8
1310
6.08 106
6.58 106
33.7 106
2.32 106
1.60 106
2139
pVecchio
is taken as 0.62 fc0 where fc0 is the compressive strength of concrete. Once the concrete material reaches its tensile peak rupture
stress, a tensile stiffness multiplier of 0.6 is used to simulate a sudden drop of the tensile stress to 60% of the rupture stress, followed
by a linearly descending curve to zero stress at a strain value of six
times the strain corresponding to the concrete rupture stress.
The GFRP bars material is assumed to behave elastically up to
failure. The reduction factors of both ultimate tensile strength
(Kr) and modulus of elasticity (KE) were calculated according to
Abbasi and Hogg [29] and presented in Eqs. (9) and (10).
K r 1 0:0025DT
K E 1 0:0017DT
10
where DT = T20 C
It should be noted that the GFRP material is very sensitive at
elevated temperatures in which it loses most of its initial stiffness
at 500 C [5,7].
It should be noted that there have been a lot of debate on dening a critical temperature for FRP bars [9,20,28,29]. In this study,
failure of the beams specimens is dened when the temperature
in the GFRP bars reaches 462 C, which was the measured temperature of the GFRP bars at failure in the experimental program of
Abbasi and Hogg [11].
6. Loading and boundary conditions
The developed FE model must go under two stages, transient
thermal analysis and structural stress analysis. The rst stage consists of performing thermal transient analysis, in which the BS 476:
2140
Fig. 7. Comparison between the deection history of the measured and simulated
results.
the re testing. The GFRP RC beam specimen failed after 128 min of
re exposure by a sudden increase in deection that caused failure
of the beam specimen. Similarly, the predicted time to failure in
the developed FE model was reached after 130 min due to large
midspan deection that causes divergence in the solution.
Fig. 9. Comparison between the effects of using different concrete cover thicknesses on the mid-span deection responses.
Table 2
Effect of different concrete cover thickness.
FE model
Designation
Time to failure
(min)
Deection at
failure (mm)
FE-70 mm
FE-65 mm
FE-60 mm
FE-45 mm
Validation model
65 mm cover
60 mm cover
45 mm cover
130
120
87.0
57.0
100
76
50.8
48.0
2141
structure that arise from the rapid burning of petroleum and chemical fuels [30]. The compartment re curve was chosen to represent
a re scenario that is very severe and lasts for a short duration of
time, mainly for 35 min. The compartment (actual) re curve
[31] depends on many factors including room geometry, ventilations, fuel amount and type, etc. One main difference between
the standard and actual re curves is that the later have a decaying
portion which simulates the full consumption of fuel and/or pres-
Table 3
Effect of different re curves.
FE model
Designation
Time to
failure
(min)
Deection at
failure (mm)
FE-ISO834
FE Modied
Hydrocarbon
FE-Compartment
Validation model
Exposed to Hydrocarbon
re curve
Exposed to Compartment
re curve
130
91.5
100
62.7
NA
NA
Fig. 11. Comparison between the effects of using different re curves on the
thermal response of the GFRP RC beam.
References
Fig. 12. Comparison between the effects of using different the different re curves
on the mid-span deection responses.
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[2] Alsayed SH. Flexural behaviour of concrete beams reinforced with GFRP bars.
Cem Concr Compos 1998;20(1):111.
[3] Gravina R, Smith S. Flexural behavior of indeterminate concrete beams
reinforced with FRP bars. Eng Struct 2008;30(9):237080.
[4] Robert M, Benmokrane B. Effect of aging on bond of GFRP bars embedded in
concrete. Cem Concr Compos 2010;32(6):4617.
[5] Williams B, Kodur V, Green M, Bisby L. Fire endurance of ber-reinforced
polymer strengthened concrete T-beams. J ACI Struct 2008;105:607.
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