Short and Long-Term behaviour of GFRP-FRC Structural Members Under Sustained Service Load

The use of fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcement as an alternative to conventional steel rebars has attracted increasing interest as a promising alternative for reinforced concrete, as the FRP reinforcement bars are not susceptible to corrosion and are more durable, lightweight, and environmentally friendly than steel. Increasing attention is being paid to understand and improve the performance of FRP reinforced concrete members under serviceability conditions with a particular focus on the avoidance of excessive deformations and crack widths. Moreover, the introduction of fibres in fibre-reinforced concrete (FRC) improves the flexural toughness and cracking capacity of the material. Synthetic fibres, as opposed to steel fibres, have a lower carbon footprint but also a lower modulus of elasticity. This, added to the fact that most previous research on the structural performance of FRC has concentrated on metallic fibres, made it necessary to study their contribution towards the improvement of flexural and cracking performance, particularly in the long-term under sustained loads.