Strength and fracture resistance of FRP reinforced concrete flexural members

A theoretical method to predict the loading capacity and fracture resistance of FRP reinforced concrete flexural beams is developed. No slip between FRP rods and plain concrete matrix is assumed and only Mode I fracture propagation is considered. The model is valid for any crack length and for any span-to-depth ratio larger than 2.5. The influence of the bridging stresses provided by the fracture process zone at the tip of fictitious fracture is examined. The numerical results are compared with existing experimental results which were obtained for steel reinforcement.