Analysis of concrete beams with partially bonded composite reinforcement

Beams prestressed with partially bonded fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) tend ons have high strength and rotation capacity but cannot be modeled by conve ntional techniques. Herein, it is assumed that all deformation takes place at cracks between rigid bodies. By setting up appropriate compatibility and equilibrium equations, the behavior at a single crack can be modeled, whic h then allows predictions to be made as to which of four possible events wi ll occur next. These lead either to beam failure, or to changes in the geom etry that can be analyzed using the same techniques. Comparisons are made w ith test results, and reasonable agreement is shown.