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Behavior of Concrete Slabs Reinforced with Fiber-Reinforced Plastic Grid

Corrosion of steel in concrete is a major concern. The use of alternate, noncorrosive reinforcement such as fiber–reinforced plastic (FRP) bars and tendons has, therefore, received much attention lately. There is limited information, however, with respect to the use of two–dimensional (2–D) FRP grids as reinforcement in concrete slabs. In the research reported here, the behavior of concrete slabs reinforced with FRP grids is compared to that of a slab reinforced with steel grid. Slabs were subjected to transverse loads and the load versus load point displacement plots were obtained. The influence of concrete strength and the use of fiber–reinforced concrete were investigated. Strains were recorded at various grid locations. The ultimate loads supported by slabs reinforced with FRP were equal to or higher than that supported by the companion slab reinforced with steel. It was observed, however, that because of the brittle nature of fracture in the FRP, slabs reinforced with such grids were less energy absorbing than one reinforced with steel. In this context, the use of fiber–reinforced concrete appears to be promising. The ultimate loads supported by slabs were compared to those predicted by the various code equations. It appears that not many changes are needed to these equations when applying them to slabs reinforced with FRP grids.