Analytical and experimental investigation of hybrid steel-FRP reinforced concrete beams

The use of steel reinforcement in reinforced concrete elements negatively affects the long-term durability and reliability of structures due to its susceptibility to corrosion. At the same time, the relatively low elastic modulus of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcement leads to increased deformation and deflection when applied independently in beams. Therefore, hybrid steel-FRP reinforcement provides an opportunity to compensate for the shortcomings of each material. However, computation methods for hybrid reinforced concrete beams are not presented in the current design codes. This article highlights the theoretical analysis of hybrid-reinforced beams and presents the obtained results, which are validated by experimental data obtained from tests on 27 beam specimens under four-point bending. The comparison between theoretical and experimental findings confirmed the accuracy of the proposed analytical model and demonstrated the enhanced strength and ductility of hybrid steel-GFRP reinforced concrete beams.