Effect of cold temperatures on the behavior and ultimate capacity of GFRP-reinforced concrete beams

This study evaluated the effects of subfreezing temperatures on the behavior and ultimate capacity of GFRP-reinforced concrete beams. Duplicate beam specimens at four temperatures (20 °C, 0 °C, − 20°C, and − 40 °C) were tested in four-point bending until failure, while monitoring applied load and resulting deflection. The ultimate capacity of the beams was observed to increase with decreasing temperature, a result attributed to the effects of temperature on the compressive and tensile capacities of the concrete. Further, the increased tensile capacity of the concrete with decreasing temperature caused a noted difference in the post-cracking response of the beams: an increase in magnitude of drops in the force-deflection response associated with cracking. The method proposed by ACI 440 (2006) for calculating the ultimate capacity of GFRP reinforced beams accurately predicted the capacity of the beams in this investigation, with an average measured to predicted ratio 1.00 using the measured concrete properties and 1.03 using the design concrete properties.