Behavior of Jute Fiber Reinforced Concrete having Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer Rebars for Possible Application in Bridge Pier

Abstract

Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer Rebars (GFRP) has an emerging alternative solution of steel reinforcement for concrete structures due to its upgraded properties like high tensile strength, lightweight, and corrosions resistance. Vegetable fibers (especially, jute fiber) is a natural fiber, with low cost, having high tensile strength, and abundantly available in tropical regions. Jute fibers are used to improve the toughness, durability, shrinkage and crack propagation in concrete. The overall purpose of the research program is to replace longitudinal steel with GFRP rebars in Fiber Reinforced Concrete (FRC) for bridge pier to improve its performance. In this study, an investigation has been carried out to examine the behavior of prototype vertical members having a different number of GFRP rebars in JFRC for application of bridge pier. The lateral confining steel reinforcement will also be varied to incorporate the confining effect. The mix design fraction 1:2:3:0.60 (C:S:A:w/c) of PC and JFRC is used, with the addition of 5% jute fiber by mass of cement, having 50 mm length. The mechanical properties (splitting tensile, energies toughness indices, flexural and compressive strengths), are investigated as per ASTM standards. The dynamic characteristics of PC and JFRC specimens are also determined. A total of sixteen prototype specimens of PRC and JFRC (eight each) with a width of 100 mm, a height of 100 mm and a length of 450 mm were cast and tested under axial load condition. The slump value of JFRC specimens is 40% less than PC with same mix design proportion. JFRC specimens’ density is also less due to the light weight of jute fibers. The damping ratio of JFRC samples is higher than PC samples which shows more energy dissipations as compared to PC samples. PC and JFRC specimens are tested in a servo-hydraulic testing machine (STM). The behavior of concrete failure converted from spalling to bridging, energy, and toughness of concrete is also enhanced by the addition of jute fibers in ordinary concrete. In order to enrich the performance of jute fiber, concrete having GFRP with different diameter and admixtures with varying dosages shall be investigated.