Experimental Study on the Performance of Circular Concrete Columns Reinforced with GFRP under Axial Load

Corrosion of steel reinforcement in concrete structures subjected to severe environments is a big challenge and requires huge repair and maintenance costs. Glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) reinforcement with its corrosion resistance and good mechanical properties is a promising solution to replace steel in such structures. This paper investigates the efficiency of using GFRP bars and spirals in concrete columns instead of conventional steel reinforcement. Five circular concrete columns of 230 mm diameter and 1500 mm height reinforced with different types and ratios of reinforcement were constructed and tested under concentric load. Test parameters included the type and ratio of the longitudinal reinforcement. The results showed that the columns reinforced with GFRP behaved in a similar way as the reference columns reinforced with steel, however, they showed slightly lower nominal capacity. It was also found that increasing the GFRP longitudinal reinforcement ratio enhanced the nominal capacity of the columns.