Design, Codes and Guidelines: 10.1 Overview

10.
1 Overview 79
10 Design, Codes and Guidelines

10.1 Overview
No doubt due to the great variety of fibre types, possible fibre architectures, matrices,
combinations of fibres and matrices as well as application possibilities, universal
mandatory and easy-to-use design procedures and application codes are still missing
today, In contrast to traditional materials, whose properties do not vary greatly, for
FRP the choice of composition material introduces additional design parameters.
In some countries (above all in Japan and Canada) the first codes for specific applica-
tions have been prepared (mainly for FRP reinforced and strengthened concrete),
while in others such are still in preparation (cf. section 10.3).For specific products
application guidelines or manufacturers’ design handbooks are available, e.g. for
strips or profiles (Creative Pultrusion, Fiberline, Strongwell, etc.).
The key to a more widespread use of FRP materials is to have manufacturer-indepen-
dent application codes geared to civil engineering practice. The problem of the wide
variety of materials and possibilities of application could be overcome by their classi-
fication in so-called Application Categories, for which in a first step application
recommendations could be worked out (cf. section 12.3).
10.2 Design
Due to a lack of widely accepted design procedures in the following only a few spe-
cific aspects of FRP are drawn attention to:
Structural Safety
Due to possible stress rupture one has to distinguish between short-term and long-
term structural safety, especially in the use of glass fibres whose long-term strength is
only about 25-30% of the short-term strength (cf. tab. 3.4). The problem is lessened
by the relatively low Young’s modulus of glass fibres, due to which usually the service-
ability at a relatively low stress level is decisive (e.g. in the case of profiles or FRP
decks). However, special attention regarding stress rupture must be given to the use of
glass fibres in prestressing systems or as untensioned reinforcement in the case of
crack formation in concrete.
Ductility
FRP materials behave linear-elastically up to failure. The properties considered under
ductility -possible redistribution of sectional forces as well as a forewarning of prob-
lems of structural safety due to large deformations - are usually not (carbon and ara-
mid fibres) or only partially (glass fibres) present. In the case of glass fibres one often
(falsely) speaks of ductile behaviour, since the deformations due to the relatively low
Young’s modulus from the serviceability state up to failure can easily increase by a
factor 10 to 20. The behaviour however remains linear-elastic.
Different strategies have been developed to obtain a nearly ductile behaviour:
- Hybrid fibre arrangements: mixture of carbon fibres with smaller and glass fibres
with greater failure strain (e.g. roughly 20% carbon and 80% glass fibres). At the fail-
ure of the carbon fibres the forces are transferred to the glass fibres, accompanied
80 10 Design, Codes and Guidelines
by a large increase in deformation. The behaviour is described as pseudo-ductile.

- Hybrid concrete reinforcement: In the case of concrete deck slabs the upper rein-
forcement which is more endangered by corrosion is of FRP, while the lower more
protected reinforcement is of conventional steel. Thereby both corrosion protection
and ductility are achieved at least partially.
-Type of failure: Especially in Canada in the case of FRP reinforced concrete the type
of failure “Concrete fails before FRP” is stipulated. Thereby, at least, the modest
contribution of the concrete to ductile behaviour is exploited. The reinforcement
required for this purpose is correspondingly high.
- FOS: By means of an integrated sensor system, together with remote control, an
automatic early warning can be achieved in case of problems with structural safety.
- Redundancy, system ductility: As part of the development of material-adapted
structural concepts. If a redundancy and system ductility exist the lack of material
ductility can at least be partially compensated for.
Anisotropy
The excellent properties of FRP materials only exist in the direction of the fibres.
Transverse to the fibres the properties of the weak matrix are governing. Depending
on the type of loading this can be both advantageous or disadvantageous: For a
constant loading direction the fibres are laid in the direction of the loading and are
fully utilised. In the case of a changing direction of loading, however, the anisotropy
is a disadvantage. The required quasi-isotropic fibre architectures exhibit consider-
ably reduced strength and stiffness (cf. fig. 3.8).
The anisotropy acts negatively mostly in two specific situations: in the region of connec-
tions and where forces are introduced with, for the most part, changing loading directions
as well as with shear action. Shear strengths and stiffnesses are usually small, so that in
particular shear deformations cannot be neglected (in contrast to traditional materials).
Self-weight
The low self-weight of FRP materials offers big advantages during installation and
above all in the case of deck replacement. Although the materials exhibit good dam-
ping behaviour, one still has to pay close attention to vibration behaviour.
10.3 Codes and Guidelines

In the following the codes and guidelines prepared to date are listed in chronological
order:
Design and Construction of Building Components with Fibre Reinforced Polymers.

Canadian Standards Association Document CSA-S806, published 2001 (compulsory).
CEN Code for Pultruded Polymer Profiles, Number pr EN 13706-1/2/3, awaiting

approval and coming into force.
10.3 Codes and Guidelines 81
Interim Guidance of the Design of Reinforced Concrete Structures Using Fibre Com-
posite Reinforcement.
Institution of Structural Engineers, London, 1999 (Eurocrete, not compulsory).
Recommendation for Design and Construction of Concrete Structures Using Conti-

nuous Fiber Reinforcing Materials.
Concrete Engineering Series 23, Japan Society of Civil Engineers, Tokyo, 1997 (com-
pulsory).
Structural Design of Polymer Composites. Eurocomp Design Code and Handbook.

The European Structural Polymeric Composites Group, E&FN Spon, London, 1996
(Eureka Project EU468, Universities and Industrial Partners from UK, Finland, Swe-
den, France, not compulsory).
Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code, Section 16: Fibre Reinforced Structures.
(Final Draft). Ministry of Transportation, Canada, 1996 (compulsory).
Design Guidelines for FRP Prestressed Concrete Members.

Building Research Institute, Japanese Ministry of Construction, Tokyo, Japan, 1995
(Japanese, compulsory).
Design and Construction Guidelines for Prestressed Concrete Highway Bridges Using
FRP Tendons.
PWRI, Tsukuba City, Japan, March 1994 (compulsory).
Design Guidelines of FRP Reinforced Concrete Building Structures.

Building Research Institute, Japanese Ministry of Construction, Tokyo, Japan, 1993
(Japanese, translated in the Journal of Composite Construction, No. 3, August 1997,
compulsory).
ASCE Structural Plastics Design Manual, Vol. 1 and 2.

Task Committee on Design of the Structural Plastics Research Council, American
Society of Civil Engineers, New York, 1984 (not compulsory).

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10.

10 Design, Codes and Guidelines

by a large increase in deformation. The behaviour is described as pseudo-ductile.

10.3 Codes and Guidelines

Design and Construction of Building Components with Fibre Reinforced Polymers.

CEN Code for Pultruded Polymer Profiles, Number pr EN 13706-1/2/3, awaiting

Recommendation for Design and Construction of Concrete Structures Using Conti-

Structural Design of Polymer Composites. Eurocomp Design Code and Handbook.

Design Guidelines for FRP Prestressed Concrete Members.

Design Guidelines of FRP Reinforced Concrete Building Structures.

ASCE Structural Plastics Design Manual, Vol. 1 and 2.

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