Investigation of structural behaviours of laterally restrained GFRP reinforced concrete slabs

The corrosion of reinforcement in concrete bridge deck has been the cause of major deterioration and of high costs in repair and maintenance. Glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) reinforcement is a more durable alternative to steel reinforcement and has higher strength to weight ratio. Due to the low value of elasticity and brittle behaviour of GFRP, the service behaviour of GFRP reinforced concrete structure is critical. However, laterally restrained slabs, such as those in bridge deck slabs, exhibit arching action or compressive membrane action (CMA) which has a beneficial influence on the service behaviour such as the deflection. This paper presents the results of experimental tests and numerical analysis of laterally restrained GFRP reinforced concrete slabs with varying some structural variables. The analysis results are discussed and conclusions on the compressive membrane action in GFRP reinforced concrete slabs are presented.