Energy dissipation in sections prestressed with FRP tendons

摘要

The main problem in the use of Fibre Reinforced Plastics (FRP) materials for prestressing beams is their linear elastic behaviour; this results in a brittle structural failure. By enhancing the plastic capacity of concrete and by making use of it, we can increase the ductility of our structures. An analytical study is presented that shows that the same values of energy dissipation can be achieved using steel and FRP prestressed concrete sections, provided we use over-reinforced beams with confined concrete.