Title:
Curvilinearity Effect on Flexural and Shear Strengths of Vertically Curved Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer- Reinforced Concrete Flexural Members
Author(s):
Seyed Mohammad Hosseini, Salaheldin Mousa, Hamdy M. Mohamed, and Brahim Benmokrane
Publication:
Structural Journal
Volume:
122
Issue:
3
Appears on pages(s):
33-47
Keywords:
critical shear crack theory (CSCT); curvilinear reinforced concrete (RC) members; design codes; experimental and analytical studies; flexural strength; glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars; Modified Compression Field Theory (MCFT); parametric studie
DOI:
10.14359/51745638
Date:
5/1/2025
Abstract:
The geometry of arched (vertically curved) reinforced concrete
(RC) members contributes to the development of additional
stresses, affecting their flexural and shear strengths. This aspect
of curvilinear RC members reinforced with glass fiber-reinforced
polymer (GFRP) bars has not been reported in the literature. In
addition, no specific design recommendations consider the effect
of curvilinearity on the flexural and shear strengths of curved
GFRP-RC members. This study has performed pioneering work in
developing models to predict the flexural and shear strengths of
curvilinear GFRP-RC members, with a focus on precast concrete
tunnel lining segments. Eleven full-scale curvilinear GFRPreinforced
tunnel segment specimens were tested under bending
load as the experimental database. Then, a model was developed for
predicting the flexural strength of curvilinear GFRP-RC members.
This was followed by the development of two shear-strength prediction models based on the Modified Compression Field Theory
(MCFT) and critical shear crack theory (CSCT). After comparing
the experimental and analytical results, a parametric study was
performed to evaluate the effect of different parameters on the flexural and shear strengths of curvilinear GFRP-reinforced members. The results indicate that neglecting the curvilinearity effect led to a 17% overestimation of the flexural strength, while the proposed models could predict the flexural strength of the specimens accurately. The proposed models based on the MCFT—referred to as
the semi-simplified Modified Compression Field Theory (SSMCFT)
and the improved simplified Modified Compression Field Theory
(ISMCFT)—predicted the shear strength of the specimens with
28% conservativeness. In addition, the modified critical shear
crack theory (MCSCT) model was 10% conservative in predicting
the shear strength of curvilinear GFRP-RC members.