Flexural Behavior of GFRP-Reinforced Concrete Masonry Beams

Abstract

An experimental and analytical study is conducted in order to investigate the flexural behavior of masonry beams that are internally reinforced using glass fiber-reinforced polymers (GFRP) rebars. Seven reinforced masonry beams with 4.0- and 2.4-m spans were tested under four-point bending setup. The beams were loaded monotonically up to failure. One had two courses of hollow concrete masonry units and the remaining six beams had three courses. Two masonry beams were reinforced using conventional steel rebars and were considered as the control specimens. The remaining five beams were internally reinforced using GFRP rods with different reinforcement ratios. Beams were detailed to have sufficient shear reinforcement such that they do not fail in shear. Flexural capacity, deformation, curvature, and strains of the tested GFRP-reinforced and steel-reinforced masonry beams were compared and discussed. Using the acquired data from the experimental and analytical studies, effectiveness of GFRP rods as internal reinforcement for concrete masonry beams is demonstrated.