Product Overview:

This tutorial examines the three-point bending simulation of concrete slabs reinforced with bars and Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) in Abaqus. The successful application of composite materials across industries such as automotive, marine, and sporting goods has led to their adoption in civil infrastructure. FRP materials, which integrate high-strength glass, carbon, and aramid fibers with polymer resins, are transforming the concrete sector by providing effective reinforcement solutions. These composites can serve as both internal and external reinforcements, offering a viable alternative to traditional steel reinforcement in environments susceptible to corrosion from seawater, deicing salts, and other corrosive agents.

The design approach for FRP-reinforced concrete relies on principles of equilibrium, strain compatibility, and the respective stress-strain characteristics of the materials involved. It is crucial to consider the brittle nature of both FRP and concrete, as failure mechanisms such as concrete crushing or FRP rupture dictate the structural performance. For modeling concrete crushing, the Whitney rectangular stress block is used to approximate the stress distribution at ultimate strength conditions, while a linear stress-strain relationship is employed for FRP failure.

In this simulation, the concrete slab is represented as a three-dimensional solid component utilizing the Concrete Damaged Plasticity (CDP) model to analyze damage propagation under bending loads. The epoxy-glass fiber reinforcement is modeled as a three-dimensional shell part, using elastic material properties coupled with failure stress criteria to visualize fiber damage.

A general static step is appropriate for this analysis. Perfect contact is assumed between the concrete and the FRP reinforcement. A concentrated load is applied to a rigid body in contact with the concrete slab, and throughout the simulation, damage propagation is monitored. While the region where FRP is applied experiences minimal damage, other areas of the slab undergo substantial damage.