Analytical model to predict punching shear strength of FRP-reinforced concrete flat slabs

The use of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcement in practice, especially where the corrosion of steel bars is a concern, is very much hampered by the absence of a rational theoretical method of analysis to predict the ultimate strength of structural elements, especially flat slabs and bridge decks, made with FRP-reinforced, concrete. This study aims to evaluate the punching shear capacity of internally FRP-reinforced slab-column connections without shear reinforcement. The method is based on a simple analytical model developed by the authors for concrete slabs reinforced with conventional steel. The effects of the FRP elastic modulus, ultimate tensile strength, and bond characteristics, which are sufficiently different from those of steel, are incorporated in the existing model. The predictions of the proposed model for FRP-reinforced slabs are then compared with test results obtained from 28 slabs recently reported in the literature. The comparisons show excellent agreement between the predicted and experimental values. It is concluded that the proposed predictive equation presented in this study provides a convenient and reliable framework for the punching strength analysis of slabs reinforced with. FRP bars or grids.