Effect of steel and synthetic fibers on flexural behavior of high-strength concrete beams reinforced with FRP bars

Six high-strength concrete beam specimens reinforced with fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) bars were constructed and tested. Three of the beams were reinforced with carbon FRP (CFRP) bars and the other three beams were reinforced with glass FRP (GFRP) bars as flexural reinforcements. Steel fibers and polyolefin synthetic fibers were used as reinforcing discrete fibers. An investigation was performed on the influence of the addition of fibers on load-carrying capacity, cracking response, and ductility. In addition, the test results were compared with the predictions for the ultimate flexural moment. The addition of fibers increased the first-cracking load, ultimate flexural strength, and ductility, and also mitigated the large crack width of the FRP bar-reinforced concrete beams.