Seismic Performance of GFRP-RC Exterior Beam–Column Joints with Lateral Beams

Six full-scale specimens were constructed and tested under reversal cyclic loading to study the seismic behavior of exterior glass-fiber-reinforced-polymer (GFRP) reinforced concrete (RC) beam–column joints with lateral beams. Five specimens were completely reinforced with GFRP bars and stirrups and one was reinforced with conventional steel as a control specimen. The main test variables were reinforcing materials (GFRP and steel), presence of lateral beams, different joint shear stresses, and end anchorage of beam longitudinal bars (bent and headed-end bars). The specimens were subjected to increasing seismic drifts up to failure. Test results showed that GFRP-RC exterior beam–column joints confined with lateral beams can resist joint shear stress equal to 1.1 times the square root of the concrete compressive strength up to 6% drift ratio. In some cases, the specimens showed nonlinear behavior and nonbrittle failure, contrary to what it is expected from FRP-RC structures. Moreover, the anchorage method can change the mode of failure of GFRP-RC exterior beam–column joints.