Nonlinear behavior of concrete beams with hybrid FRP and stainless steel reinforcements

The full-range behavior of partially bonded, together with partially prestressed concrete beams containing fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) tendons and stainless steel reinforcing bars was simulated using a simplified theoretical model. The model assumes that a section in the beam has a trilinear moment—curvature relationship characterized by three particular points, initial cracking of concrete, yielding of non-prestressed steel, and crushing of concrete or rupturing of prestressing tendons. Predictions from the model were compared with the limited available test data, and a reasonable agreement was obtained. A detailed parametric study of the behavior of the prestressed concrete beams with hybrid FRP and stainless steel reinforcements was conducted. It can be concluded that the deformability of the beam can be enhanced by increasing the ultimate compressive strain of concrete, unbonded length of tendon, percentage of compressive reinforcement and partial prestress ratio, and decreasing the effective prestress in tendons, and increasing in ultimate compressive strain of concrete is the most efficient one. The deformability of the beam is almost directly proportional to the concrete ultimate strain provided the failure mode is concrete crushing, even though the concrete ultimate strain has less influence on the load-carrying capacity.