Experimental testing of concrete beams reinforced with carbon FRP bars

Most of the research on the fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) bar reinforced structures employed glass FRP (GFRP) bars. The results of tests, which were conducted on the carbon FRP (CFRP) bar reinforced concrete beams, are reported in this article. The beams reinforced with conventional steel rods were tested as control specimens. Nearly equal crack spacing and number of cracks were noted in both types of beams, at all stages of loading. The bond characteristics of the CFRP bars were found to be satisfactory. The ACI code equation over-estimated the stiffness of the CFRP reinforced beams and as a result theoretical deflection, predicted by the ACI code method, was found to be less than the recorded deflection.