Bond Performance of FRP Rebars With Various Surface Deformations in Reinforced Concrete

One of the methods used to overcome the corrosion problem associated with steel rebars in reinforced concrete is the application of reinforced polymer (FRP) rebars. Bonding between the rebar and concrete is one of the major factors affecting the mechanical behavior of the structures. In this study, FRP rebars with four different surface configurations and geometries were constructed and their bonding to concrete was examined. These include a pultruded rod with a smooth surface (RO), externally wound FRP rib on the pultruded rod (RT), pultruded rod with sand sprayed on the surface (RS), and a combination of the last two configurations (RTS). Bonding strength of the rebars to concrete was assessed using pull-out test at the embedment lengths of 12 and 18 cm. Results showed that the increase in surface roughness of the rebars and hence a greater inter-mechanical locking, plays a major role in their bonding strength to concrete. RO rebar showed the lowest bonding strength to the concrete followed by the RT rebar. Bonding strength to concrete in the latter type was entirely controlled by the adhesion strength of the externally wound FRP rib to the pultruded core. RTS rebars with embedment length of 12 cm showed greater adhesion to the concrete, where as, in samples with embedment length of 18 cm, RTS and RS rebars showed close results. In all the tests conducted, delaminating of the surface texture was the major failure mode. POLYM. COMPOS., 30:576-582, 2009. (C) 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers