ABSTRACT
The design of concrete members either reinforced with FRP reinforcing bars or strengthened with strips or sheets of FRP laminates or fabrics is discussed in this chapter. The discussion in this chapter follows the design recommendations of the most current versions of the design guidelines published by the American Concrete Institute (ACI) that are used to design these concrete structures in the United States. The material presented is an updated and expanded version of portions of the chapter Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites, which appeared in the Handbook of Structural Engineering (Bank, 2004) and was based on ACI design guidelines in 2003. In addition, this chapter is intended to provide a brief overview of topics covered in greater detail and accompanied by illustrative examples in Composites for Construction: Structural Design with FRP Materials (Bank, 2006.) Research in the use of FRP reinforcements and FRP strengthening systems for concrete structures has been the focus of intense international research activity since the late 1980s. A biannual series of symposia entitled Fiber-Reinforced Plastics in Reinforced Concrete Structures (FRPRCS) has been the leading venue for reporting and disseminating these research results. The most recent symposium, the seventh in the series dating back to 1993, was held in Patras, Greece, in 2007 (Triantitillou, 2007).
