A Critical Review on Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Bars as Reinforcement in Flexural Members

Since the nineteenth century, reinforced concrete was evolved as a crucial material for construction. This popular composite material is broadly used in different building typologies. However, the decaying of steel rebar due to corrosion is identified as a hindrance that can affect the quality of reinforced concrete structures. In reference to this, the glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bar is essential because of corrosion-resistant properties. The researchers performed various tests and numerical analysis to know the response of GFRP-reinforced flexural members in shear and bending. Based on studies over the last decade, this study critically analyzes the response of flexural member reinforced using glass fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) bars. Understanding the behavior of the FRP bar as the alternating reinforcing material will be aided by this review. Since the GFRP bar has high strength and no yield point, the conventional characterizations of ductility may not be applicable to determine whether GFRP-reinforced concrete components are ductile. Hence, a detailed study is needed to understand the behavior of such structures. This paper explores various properties of GFRP-reinforced beams to appreciate the applications of GFRP reinforcement in flexural members.