Behavior of Simply Supported and Continuous Concrete Deep Beams Reinforced with GFRP Bars

Abstract

Reinforced concrete deep beams are common structural elements in bridges and high-rise buildings because of their ability to support higher concentrated loads compared with slender beams. In this study, three simply supported deep beams and three continuous deep beams reinforced with glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars were constructed and tested to failure. The test variable was the shear span-to-depth ratio, which varied between 1.0 and 2.0. Test results are presented in terms of cracking, deflection, strains in concrete and reinforcement, load capacity, and mode of failure. The cracking pattern and measured strains indicated the development of the arch action mechanism in all specimens. Test results indicated that increasing the shear span-to-depth ratio led to a significant decrease in the load-carrying capacity of the beams. Moreover, continuous beams exhibited higher load capacity than did their simply supported counterparts. In addition, a comparison between the experimental and code-predicted load capacity of beams is presented.