Calibration of flexural design of concrete members reinforced with FRP bars

Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composites have been increasingly accepted in the construction industry as a promising substitute for steel. Bridge deck deterioration is one of the most common deficiencies in a bridge system. The use of FRP bars as reinforcement for concrete bridge decks provides a potential for increased service life, economic, and environmental benefits. This research presents the development of resistance models for concrete members (beams and slabs) reinforced with FRP bars (FRP-RC), for carrying out reliability analysis. The scope of this model is limited to the flexural behavior only; i.e. the failures are not shear failure and debonding. Probability of Failure,Pf , and Reliability Index, â, of FRP-RC sections are calculated using the developed resistance model. A wide range of design variables is covered in calibrating the flexural design of FRP-RC members, using First Order Reliability Method (FORM). This study results in the development of resistance models for FRP-RC bridge decks and girders which can also be used as resistance models for FRP-RC slabs and beams respectively. Also, the flexural reliability study on FRP-RC slabs and beams yielded parameters that affect the Probability of Failure,Pf , in terms of the Reliability Index, â. These results may be used to enhance the current recommendations for resistance factors