USE OF FRP REBARS IN REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES: AN OVERVIEW OF THE 2021 FRENCH GUIDELINE FROM AFGC

In 2018, the French Association for Civil Engineering (AFGC) formed a dedicated working group to focus on the application of Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) bars for the internal reinforcement of concrete structures. The primary objective was to establish French recommendations by conducting a comprehensive review of existing standards and knowledge in the field. A technical report gathering those recommendations (in French) was released in 2021 and is currently undergoing translation into English. This report comprises six chapters covering various aspects, including the characterization of FRP reinforcing bars (rebars), their durability and temperature behaviors, as well as design recommendations for ultimate and serviceability limit states, encompassing flexure, shear, punching shear, fatigue, and pile reinforcement. Additionally, several case studies are presented in the Appendix.Paper 11