Mechanical Properties of Glass FRP Bars with Aluminum Alloy Ribs Anchorage

Abstract

An experimental campaign was undertaken to characterize the mechanical properties of newly proposed aluminum alloy ribs (ARs)-anchored glass fiber–reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars via tensile, short beam shear and pullout tests. The investigated variables consisted of bar surface treatments (smooth, shallow-ribbed, and deep-ribbed) and anchorage design parameters (radial extrusion and initial wall thickness). The results derived from the tensile test showed that the tensile strength of the ARs-anchored GFRP bars could be designed and optimized by adjusting the radial extrusion and initial wall thickness of the anchorage. The short beam shear test further validated that the presence of the ARs on the GFRP bar increased its interlaminar shear strength by up to 25%. The pullout test conducted on specimens with favorable anchorage design parameters based on tensile and short beam shear tests demonstrated significantly high bond strengths between 11.45 and 46.63 MPa at the bar–anchorage interface, with enhancements ranging from 60% to several times compared with that of the bar–concrete interface under different parameter combinations. The proposed ARs-anchored GFRP bars present an effective alternative to conventional GFRP bars in applications where a short anchorage length is preferred.