Methodology for Predicting the Structural Response of FRP-Concrete Composite Beams Using Abaqus/CAE Software Package

Abstract

A Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP)-Concrete composite beam system comprises of several contact interactions, sub-components with varying geometries, and complex material behavior. Evaluating the flexural response of such structures through experimental campaigns is highly expensive and time-consuming as obtaining the desired output variables requires the specimens to be heavily and precisely instrumented. A numerical simulation could provide a much better alternative in this case as it can simulate the complete mechanical response of the physical system with relatively much ease and economy. However, the complexities involved with the problem regarding contact interactions and complex material behavior, make such analysis suffer from several convergence difficulties. The chapter is an attempt to overcome these difficulties by establishing a methodology that can be followed for modeling and analyzing such structures.