Composite rebars shape effect in reinforced structures

The effect of composite rebar's shape in reinforced concrete beam type structures is investigated through finite element analysis in this paper. Steel rebars are being replaced with composite rebars due to their better ability to resist corrosion in reinforced concrete structures for many infrastructure applications. A variety of composite rebar shapes can be obtained through the pultrusion process. It will be interesting to investigate their shape on various stiffnesses and interface stresses. In this study, four different composite rebar shapes are investigated under axial, bending and torsional loadings. The results of stiffness and interface stresses obtained are presented and compared for the different composite rebar shapes. Based on the results obtained, a circular rebar with 6 square ribs with 1° offset offers the best configuration under axial and torsional loadings.