Bond between carbon fiber reinforced polymer bars and concrete. II: Computational modeling

Computational modeling of the behavior of concrete reinforced with fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) bars requires models for the constitutive behavior of concrete and FRP and a model for their interaction, bond. This study focuses upon the application of an elastoplastic bond model to represent the behavior of the type A bar experimentally examined in Part I. By fully coupling the tangent and radial response, the model is sensitive to the stress state around the bar and can induce longitudinal cracking in the adjacent concrete. The model is calibrated and then applied to predict the splitting behavior of two types of specimens. Though the two specimens differ significantly, the estimated splitting loads fall within the experimental scatter. The model is then used to obtain preliminary design data for the needed cover thickness, development length, and transfer lengths. Computational models, when calibrated with limited experimental data, allow the behavior of several different specimens to be estimated. This approach is an effective means of obtaining preliminary design data and of planning further experimental verification.