A New Design-Oriented Model of Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer-Reinforced Hollow Concrete Columns

Abstract

Hollow concrete columns (HCCs) reinforced with glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars and spirals are considered an effective design solution for bridge piers, electric poles, and ground piles because they use less material and maximize the strength-toweight ratio. HCC behavior is affected by critical design parameters such as inner-to-outer diameter ratio, reinforcement and volumetric ratios, and concrete compressive strength. This paper proposes a new design-oriented model based on the plasticity theory of concrete and considering the critical design parameters to accurately describe the compressive load-strain behavior of GFRP-reinforced HCCs under monotonic and concentric loading. The validity of the proposed model was evaluated against experimental test results for 14 full-scale hollow concrete columns reinforced with GFRP bars and spirals. The results demonstrated that the proposed design-oriented model was accurate and yielded a very good agreement with the axial compressive load behavior of GFRP-reinforced hollow concrete columns.