Behavior of Fiber Glass Reinforced Concrete Beams

Abstract

This investigation deals with the behavior of fiber glass-reinforced beams with varying percentages of reinforcement. Conventional beams having similar percentages of steel reinforcement are used as control beams. The feasibility of the use of short, randomly oriented wires to improve concrete qualities when incorporated with fiber glass tensile reinforcement is also investigated. Twenty rectangular beams 6 ft in span (1.83 m) and subject to concentrated loads were tested to failure. It was found that fiber glass-reinforced beams were able to take a higher load than the corresponding steel-reinforced control beams. Their cracking and deflection behavior were also favorably comparable to the steel-reinforced beams at working stress levels.