A predictive 2D finite element model for modelling FRP-to-concrete bond behavior

摘要

External bonding of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) plates (including both wet layup and pultruded plates) has been widely used to enhance the flexural or shear strength of reinforced concrete (RC) members. The effectiveness of this technique highly depends on the bond behavior of FRP-to-concrete interfaces, which has been investigated commonly using a bond test. Finite element modelling on the bond behavior of FRP-to-concrete bonded joints is superior to tests in obtaining detailed information for the in-depth understanding of the failure process. This paper presents a truly predictive 2D FE model for simulating the bond behavior of FRP-to-concrete bonded joints. The effective width of concrete prism is introduced to consider the non-uniform distribution of concrete stress in the out-of-plane direction of the bonded joint, and is derived using a rigorous method. With input of the effective width as the depth of concrete elements, the proposed FE model is able to produce predictions close to their test counterparts for specimens with not only debonding failure, but also concrete prism failure, thus making it a truly predictive model, which does not need to select out specimens only with debonding failure for simulation.