Experimental and numerical investigation of splicing of concrete-filled fiber-reinforced polymer tubes

The structural performance of spliced, concrete-filled FRP tubes was evaluated. The splices consisted of an internal FRP collar adhesively bonded to the tube segments and a concrete reinforcing cage of carbon fiber composite cable (CFCC). Spliced beams were tested to determine the splice flexural capacity. Adhesive bond strength and CFCC development lengths were experimentally determined. Splice behavior was investigated with 3D finite-element models employing a modified concrete damage plasticity model and cohesive interfaces. Model predictions were in good agreement with the experiments; the predicted capacity was 13.8% greater than the 113.1 kN average failure load of the splice.