Title: Splitting Forces in FRPR Pretensioned Concrete

Author(s): W. Reinold De Sitter and rene A. Vonk

Publication: Symposium Paper

Volume: 138

Issue:

Appears on pages(s): 1-14

Keywords: fiber reinforced plastics; lightweight concrete; pretensioning; splitting stresses; stress transfer; Structural Research

DOI: 10.14359/3918

Date: 9/1/1993

Abstract:
In concrete pretensioned with nonmetallic fiber reinforced plastic reinforcement (FRPR), the Hoyer effect leads to high splitting stresses due to confinement of radial deformations of bars or strands in the transfer zone. Incompatible linear temperature expansion can aggravate the splitting stresses. Bond in the transfer zone is heavily influenced by the confined radial expansion, as demonstrated by tests with bars in lightweight concrete. Very short transfer lengths (80 mm) have been measured. Three calculation approaches for splitting stresses are presented: the elasto-plastic, concrete deformation, and fracture energy approaches. The elasto-plastic model has been checked using a discrete element model that includes tensile softening of concrete. The presented formulas are confirmed by several tests on pretensioned prisms.