Finite element simulations of the shear capacity of GFRP-reinforced concrete short beams

This paper presents a numerical investigation of the shear behavior of short concrete beams reinforced with glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) for flexure and without shear reinforcement. A nonlinear finite element (FE) model is developed using the commercial software package ABAQUS to simulate the shear behavior of deep beams subjected to fourpoint loadings. The proposed FE results including the shear capacity and failure mode are verified and compared with previously published experiments [1]. The main purpose of the present FE model is to extend the numerical analysis and conduct a parametric study in the future. The present numerical analysis consisted of 5 short beams subjected to four point bending until failure. The effects of the shear span to depth ratio (a/d) and flexural reinforcement ratio on the ultimate shear capacity and mode of failure are investigated.