CICE 2010 - The 5th International Conference on FRP Composites in Civil Engineering

September 27-29, 2010, Beijing, China

Deformation Behavior of Concrete Two-Way Slabs Reinforced

with BFRP Bars Subjected to Eccentric Loading
Haitang Zhu (htzhu@zzu.edu.cn), Yakun Zhang, Danying Gao & Zhilong Xiao
School of Water Conservancy&Environment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China

ABSTRACT Based on the punching shear test results of 9 simply supported concrete two-way slabs reinforced with
basalt fiber reinforced polymer (BFRP) bars subjected to eccentric concentrated loading, the deflection distribution
and the load-deflection characteristics of test slabs are investigated. The test results show that the deforma-tions of test
slabs before punching shear failure are caused by bending moments. The concrete strength, the ratio of FRP bars
reinforcement, the location of concentrated load and the ratio of punching span are the main factors that affect the
load-deflection curves and the energy dissipations capacity of concrete two-way slabs reinforced with FRP bars under
eccentric concentrated load.
KEY WORDS

1 INTRODUCTION
Load-deflection curve of concrete two-way slab reflects
many aspects of performance, including bearing capacity,
deformation, ductility, energy absorption capacity and so
on. Study on the Load-deflection curve (P-w curve) of
concrete two-way slabs is of very importance because it
is related to the interpretation of punching failure
mechanism and the establishment of punching shear
failure mode. However, specialized research on
deformation of concrete punching shear slab was often
overlooked in the past, especially on concrete two-way


slab reinforced with FRP bars. In this paper,

deformations and load-deflection curves of concrete two-
way slabs reinforced with FRP bars under concentrated
eccentric load were analyzed based on the test.


2 TEST DESCRIPTION
K

Concrete two-way slab members reinforced with basalt 

FRP bars in the single-sided configuration are designed.
Figure 1 Schematic diagram of two-way slabs
Specimens are designed as shown in Figure 1, and the
design parameters of specimens are shown Table.1. The
Table 1 Design parameters of specimens
designed concrete strength grade of specimens S-7, S-5
Depth Concrete Ratio of
and S-8 are respectively C20, C30 and C40. Actual Eccentric Effective
Span of compressive Rebars
measured strength of BFRP bar and steel bar is No loading depth
(mm) Slabs strength Steel
respectively 987MPa and 468MPa. location (mm) FRP
(mm) (MPa) (%)
Test Features are as follows: bearing with four sides
simply supported, clear span of 1500mm, single or double-
S-1 1500 150 135 36.8 — 0.97
double-direction eccentric concentrated loads which direction
loading area of 150mm × 150mm square (Figure 1). The double-
S-2 1500 150 135 36.0 0.29 0.30
displacement measuring points of slab surface are set direction
through load centerline and others shown in Figure 6 double-
S-3 1500 150 135 33.5 0.29 —
below. direction

L. Ye et al. (eds.), Advances in FRP Composites in Civil Engineering

© Tsinghua University Press, Beijing and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2011
September 27–29, 2010, Beijing, China 297

(Continued) increased by 37% and 39%. The area surrounded by P-w

curve and deflection axis is equal to the ability for test
Depth Concrete Ratio of
Eccentric Effective component to absorb energy throughout the entire
Span of compressive Rebars
No loading depth process of the test slab occurring punching damage.
(mm) Slabs strength Steel
location (mm) FRP
(mm) (MPa) (%)
double-
S-4 1500 150 135 35.6 0.55 —
direction
double-
S-5 1500 150 135 32.8 0.42 —
direction
single-
S-6 1500 150 135 32.5 0.42 —
direction
double-
S-7 1500 150 135 22.6 0.42 —
direction
double-
S-8 1500 150 135 41.8 0.42 —
direction
geometric
S-9 1500 150 135 40.6 0.42
center Figure 2 Influence of concrete strength on P-w curves

Figure 2 shows that with the increase in concrete

3 DEFORMATIONS OF CONCRETE TWO- strength, the energy dissipation capacity of concrete
WAY SLABS two-slab reinforced with FRP bars grows.
3.1 Load-deflection curves of test specimens Figure 3 tells us that the greater the ratio of FRP bars
According to the failure process and the failure mode, reinforcement, the smaller its deflection under the same
punching failure manner of the two-way slabs reinforced load, however the higher its carrying capacity when
with FRP bars in this experiment can be divided into destroyed. With the ratio of FRP bars reinforcement
bending-type failure and punching-type failure. When increasing, the punching ultimate bearing capacity shows
the load is small, test slabs are basically in the stage of increasing trend. As the load increases, the deflection is
flexible working, and deflection increases linearly with still approximately linear increase. Ratio of FRP bars
the increases of loading. Since the first cracks, the reinforcement changes from 0.29% to 0.42%, 0.55%, the
curvature of the load-deflection curves (P-w curve) ultimate bearing capacity of corresponding specimens
reduce and the P-w curves gradually deviate from the increased by 45% and 68%. It also shows that the
loading axis but still exhibit approximate linear change. energy dissipations capacity of the higher ratio of FRP
About 80% of the damage load, load-deflection curve reinforcement as specimen S-4 is less than the lower
begins to bend shaft deflection. When reaching limit ratio of FRP bars reinforcement as S-5.
load, the punching cone comes up, and at the same time
bearing capacity of the test lab reduced in vast scale.
After punching failure, load gradually stabilizes at 10%
to 30% of the limit load. The deflection is about 3 to 4
times as large as its destroyed deflection. Deformation
of the test slab continues to develop under the effect of
residual load until the eventual loss of its bearing
capacity.
The shape, highest point and slop of load-deflection
curve are closely related with concrete strength grade,
FRP bars reinforcement ratio and load location, etc.
It is not difficult to see from Figure 2 that the higher
the concrete strength grade, the smaller its deflection
under the same load, however the higher its carrying
capacity when destroyed. This is due to that the stiffness Figure 3 Influence of FRP bars ratio on P-w curves
of the components increased with the increase of
concrete strength under other conditions being equal. As can be seen from Figure 4, comparing with the test
Concrete strength changes from C20 to C30, C40, the slabs subjected to center loading as specimen S-9, the
ultimate bearing capacity of corresponding test specimens deflection of two-way slab reinforced with FRP bars
298 Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on FRP Composites in Civil Engineering
subjected to eccentric loading as specimen S-5 and S-6
is smaller and the punching ultimate bearing capacity is
higher. It also indicates that deflection and ultimate
bearing capacity of the specimen subjected to single-
direction eccentric loading is lower than that of the
specimen subjected to double-direction eccentric loading.
The different areas surrounded by P-w curve and deflection
axis according to Figure 4 tell that the deformation and
energy dissipations capacity of two-way slabs reinforced
with FRP bars under eccentric load have little to do with
load location, but the test slab under center load has the
worst energy dissipations capacity of all.
Figure 4 Influence of load location on P-w curves
As can be seen from Figure 5, when reinforced with
FRP bars in replacement part of the steel bars, the test
slabs with the greater ratio of FRP bars reinforcement,
the larger of its deflection under the same load, however
the lower of its carrying capacity when destroyed. From
Figure 5, the different areas surrounded by P-w curve
and deflection axis suggest that deformation and energy
dissipations capacity of the two-way slab reinforced
with steel bars during its punching shear failure process
is the worst in all of the 8 test slabs. With the increasing
Figure 5 Influence of amount of steel bars and FRP bars on
P-w curves
number of steel bars replaced by FRP bars, the deformation
and energy dissipation capacity of the two-way slabs
grow in the process of punching damage occurring.
3.2 Deformation distribution of test slabs’ surface
Deformations of the two-way slabs before occurrence of
punching shear failure are caused by bending moments.
There is no significant relative rotation on the punching
cone and its vicinity, and there is no significant relative
dislocation too. The typical measured displacement of
specimens is shown in Figure 6.
D isplacem ent
m easuring
instrum ent
     
 N1

N1

 N1
 N1

N1

N1
(mm)

ZPP
 6 N1
W

Figure 6 measured typical displacement distribution on the
surface of test slabs
Designed concrete strength of test two-way slabs as
specimens S-7, S-5 and S-8 are respectively C20, C30
and C40, and other parameters of them are all the same.
As can be seen from deflections Data measured in the
tests, the maximum deflection value of test slab S-7
compared with those of test slabs S-5 and S-8 decrease
by 55.7% and 52.7% when their occurring punching
damage. When the concrete strength is at a lower level,
the tensile strain of the concrete in the center and its
local vicinity of the two-way slabs reinforced with FRP
bars subjected to concentrated loading, which is in multi-
dimensional stress state, can easily exceed the limit
strain of the concrete. Thus the cross intersection cracks
occur in the center of load location. As the load continues
to increase, cracks develop continuously. The punching
shear capacity is provided by concrete of the test
two-way slabs. As the strength of concrete is low, the
punching shear damage occurs when the load is not too
large. As the damage load is low, the deflection of the
test slab does not fully develop, resulting in the deflection
in the center of load is small. Moreover, concrete strength
September 27–29, 2010, Beijing, China 299

changes from C30 to C40, the maximum deflection areas. It can be confirmed through the test observations
value of the test slab S-8 reduces by 1.91%. This is that development and width of ring cracks closed to the
because the higher the concrete strength, the greater the center of concentrated load and its surrounding areas are
brittleness of the concrete component. Thus S-8 is more much larger than that of the cracks outside areas until
of a sudden than S-5 while damaging. So the maximum the punching cone pushes out at last.
deflection value of S-8 is smaller than that of S-5 when
their damaging. 4 CONCLUSIONS
The ratio of FRP bars reinforcement of test two-way
In order to discuss the deformation performance of the
slabs as specimens S-3, S-5 and S-4 is respectively
concrete two-way slab reinforced with FRP bars,
0.29%, 0.42% and 0.55%, and their other parameters are
punching shear tests of 7 concrete two-way slabs
all the same. Based on the test measured data we can see
reinforced with FRP bars,1 concrete two-way slab
that the maximum deflection values of S-3 whose ratio
reinforced with steel bars, and 1 concrete two-way slab
of FRP bars reinforcement is 0.29% compared with
reinforced synchronously with FRP bars and steel bars
those of S-3 and S-5 whose ratio of FRP bars
are carried out, and get the following conclusions:
reinforcement is 0.42% and 0.55% reduce by 7.68% and
(1) The failure modes of bending and punching
29.23% when destroyed. This shows that as the ratio of
commonly exit in the tests of concrete two-way slabs.
FRP bars reinforcement increases, the trend of deflection
(2) The concrete strength grade, the ratio of FRP bars
decreases while punching shear damaging. Because as
reinforcement, the location of concentrated load and
the amount of FRP bars increases in the two-way slabs
ratio of punching span are the main factors that affect the
reinforced with FRP bars, the stiffness of the two-way
load-deflection of the concrete two-way slabs reinforced
slabs increases, so that deformability of test two-slabs
with FRP bars under eccentric concentrated load.
under concentrate load diminishes.
(3) The destruction of the concrete two-way slab
Test slab S-1 reinforced only with steel bars, and S-5
reinforced FRP bars subjected to concentrated load
reinforced only with FRP bars, and S-2 reinforced
occurs in the center of load area and its nearby areas,
synchronously with steel bars and FRP bars. It can be
which belongs to partial punching shear damage. The
seen from the test results that with the FRP bars increasing
carrying capacity of concrete two-way slab reinforced
in the number to replace the steel bars, the maximum
FRP bars while their punching shear destruction occurring
deflection value of S-2 and S-5 compared with that of
is mainly controlled by the concrete of the two-way slab.
S-1 increases by 67.66% and 165.91% when punching
(4) The concrete strength, the ratio of FRP bars
damage occurs. Deformation ability of concrete two-way
reinforcement are the main factors that affect the
slab reinforced with FRP bars compared with concrete
deformation ability and the energy dissipations capacity
two-way slab reinforced with steel bars improves far a
of the concrete two-way slab reinforced FRP bars.
lot. As the elasticity modulus of steel bars is larger than
(5) The maximum deformation of the test two-way
that of FRP bars, the flexural stiffness of concrete
slabs is in the center of load, and with the distance to the
two-way slab reinforced with FRP bars is smaller than
loading center increasing, the deformation of slab
that of test slabs reinforced with steel bars when other
surface decrease.
conditions are all the same, so joining FRP bars in
concrete two-way slab can improve the deformation
performance to a large extent when punching damage 5 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
occurs. The research reported herein was supported by National
According to Figure 6, we can see that deflection at Science Foundation of China (No.50879082) .
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