Title:
Structural Behavior Evaluation of High-Strength Concrete Beams Reinforced with Prestressed Prisms Using Fiber Optic Sensors
Author(s):
Benxian Chen and Edward G. Nawy
Publication:
Structural Journal
Volume:
91
Issue:
6
Appears on pages(s):
708-718
Keywords:
crack width and spacing; deflection; high-strength concrete; precast concrete; fibers; prestressed concrete; prisms; structural design; structural analysis; Structural Research
DOI:
10.14359/1504
Date:
11/1/1994
Abstract:
Thirteen high-strength concrete, simply supported composite beams with a span of 9 ft (2743 mm) were tested to failure, and their general structural bending properties were evaluated and reported. Precast prestressed concrete prisms were used as main tension reinforcement in all the test specimens. High-strength concrete with compressive strength in the range of 12,000 to 14,000 psi (84.4 to 98.5 MPa) was used for both prisms and situ-cast main beams. Test results showed that the presence of precast prestressed prisms as tension reinforcement significantly increases the cracking capacity and improves flexural stiffness of the test beams, with consequent reduction in deflection and crack width at service load. A novel fiber optic sensor, Bragg grating, was used to develop smart structures by instrumenting all the test beams for direct and quantitative measurement of load-induced strains in the concrete and reinforcement. Typical results, such as average steel strains and crack widths obtained from fiber optic Bragg grating sensors, are evaluated.