M.K. Sharbatdar - Assistant Professor, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran,
M. Saatcioglu - Professor, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada

The majority of current FRP applications have been in the area of strengthening of existing structures, although some attempts have been made to use them in new concrete construction, such as beams, bridge decks and slabs. Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcement, in the form of longitudinal bars and transverse grids, are currently being developed for use in new buildings and bridges. The major driving force behind this development is the superior performance of FRPs in corrosive environments. FRP reinforcement has high strength-to-weight ratio, favourable fatigue strength, electro-magnetic transparency and low relaxation characteristics when compared with steel reinforcement, offering a structurally sound alternative in most applications. However, FRP reinforcement shows linear stress-strain characteristics up to failure, with no ductility. This poses serious concerns about their applicability particularly to earthquake resistant structures. Experimental research has been conducted on large-scale specimens to investigate the performance of the new FRP reinforced concrete structural elements subjected to different axial and simulated lateral loadings. CFRP bars and grids were used as longitudinal reinforcement and transverse reinforcement, respectively. The results indicated that FRP reinforced concrete elements could be designed for earthquake resistant construction. The hysteretic relationships showed that these FRP reinforced concrete members had different behaviour than those of steelreinforced concrete members.

FRP,Reinforced concrete columns and beams, Longitudinal Bars, Grids,Hysteretic Relationships, Conventional Steel, Earthquake Resistant