IJRET: International Journal of Research in Engineering and Technology eISSN: 2319-1163 | pISSN: 2321-7308

ANALYSIS OF COMPOSITE BEAM USING ANSYS

Jayalin.D1, Prince Arulraj. G2, Karthika.V3

1
Assistant Professor, SNS College of Technology, Coimbatore-641035, India
jayalinsnsct@gmail.com
2
Dean, Dept. of civil engineering, SNS College of Technology, Coimbatore-641035, India
deancivil@snsct.org
3
PG Scholar, SNS College of Technology, Coimbatore – 641035, India
vkarthikaa@gmail.com

Abstract
A Finite Element (FEM) model has been developed using Ansys 15 to analyse beams with openings. The openings in beams are
provided for utility ducts and pipes. The cracks normally develop due to the stress concentration around the openings. In this
paper, beams strengthened by Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) and Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) Concrete
sheets were studied. The concrete was modelled using solid 65 element and rebars were modelled using beam 188 elements.
Thirteen beams were modelled, one beam is the reference reinforced concrete beam without any opening. Six beams with openings
retrofitted with CFRP fibres and six beams with opening retrofitted with GFRP were also analysed. From the analysis, the load
deflection relationship, crack pattern and crack at ultimate load were obtained and comparison was done for CFRP and GFRP
beams. From the load deflection relationship, it was found that the performance of beams retrofitted with CFRP was better than
that of the beams retrofitted with GFRP. The strengthening with CFRP and GFRP around and inside the opening was found more
effective in improving the ultimate load carrying capacity of beams.

Keywords: Reinforced concrete beam, CFRP, GFRP, Load carrying capacity

----------------------------------------------------------------------------***----------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. INTRODUCTION the results obtained for GFRP wrapped beams and also
compared with the Reinforced Concrete beam results.
Composite materials are made from two or more constituent
materials with different physical and chemical properties
2. LITERATURE REVIEW:
that when combined produce a material with characteristics
different from the individual components. Most commonly Shaishav R et. al (2014) discussed about the comparative
used composite material is Fibre reinforced plastic. Fibre study of experimental and analytical results of FRP
reinforced plastic is a composite material made of a polymer strengthened beams in flexure. Two beams were modelled
matrix reinforced with fibres. Generally, the utility ducts using ANSYS finite element program and in those two
were provided for pipes electric cables, etc., The presence beams, one beam was without FRP and other beam was
of the opening leads to reduction in stiffness, cracking, Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) strengthened
excessive deflection and reduction in the strength of the beams. The load deflection relationships, crack pattern,
beam. A rectangular opening may be considered as a small ultimate load was obtained and compared with the
opening when the depth or diameter is ≤ 0.4 times of overall experimental results available in literature and obtained
beam depth. The common methods for strengthening are results shows good agreement with the experimental results.
wrapping of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Sheets,
Aramid Fiber Reinforced Polymer Sheets (AFRP), Glass Santhakumar R and Chandrasekaran (2004) made the
Fiber Reinforced Polymer Sheets, strengthening by Steel analysis of retrofitted reinforced concretes shear beams
Plates and Strengthening by steel reinforcement. using carbon fibre composites. In this paper, a study on the
unretrofitted RC beam designated as control beam, RC
In this paper, different types of strengthening techniques beams retrofitted with CFRP composites in uncracked and
using CFRP and GFRP Sheets were carried out. One precracked beams were studied. The modeling was done in
Reinforced Concrete beam was the reference specimen. Six ANSYS and quarter of the beam modelled on the bases of
beams had opening retrofitted with CFRP fibres and six symmetry. The results obtained was in good agreement with
other beams were retrofitted with GFRP sheets. Three out of the experimental plots.
six beams had openings in the shear zone and the other three
had openings in the flexure zone. The CFRP and GFRP Lavate1 R. S et. al (2010) presented about dynamic
sheets were wrapped inside the opening, around the response analysis of fibre reinforced composite beam. The
opening, both inside and around the opening. The results dynamic analysis of the composite beam was studied and
obtained for the CFRP wrapped beams were compared with values of Young Modulus, Poisson’s ratio and shear
modulus were determined. The longitudinal and transverse

_______________________________________________________________________________________
Volume: 04 Special Issue: 09 | LACE-2015 | Aug-2015, Available @ http://www.ijret.org 11
IJRET: International Journal of Research in Engineering and Technology eISSN: 2319-1163 | pISSN: 2321-7308

vibrations were determined numerically and experimentally.

These outputs were transferred to the graphs.

Omran H.Y et. al (2009) explained about finite element

modelling of steel-concrete composite beams strengthened
with prestressed CFRP plate. Beams strengthened with
Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer and the beams were
modelled using ANSYS. The obtained results was compared
with the experimental one and was found to be in good
agreement.

3. PROPOSED METHOD OF ANALYSIS:

For the current research, a beam of length 1800mm, width
150mm and depth 250mm is considered. The top
longitudinal reinforcement consists of four bars of 12mm Figure 3. Modelling of beam with opening in flexural zone.
diameter and the bottom longitudinal reinforcement consists
of two bars of 8mm diameter with spacing 150 mm. The In ANSYS 15, the Elements used for analysis of beams were
size of the opening was 200x100mm was provided. Solid 65, Beam 188 and Solid 185. Solid 65 was used for
the three- dimensional modeling of concrete. The elements
is defined by 8 nodes. Solid 186 was used for solid
structures. Beam 188 was a linear beam element and is used
for steel reinforcement. This element is based on
Timoshenko beam theory. In this element, shear deformation
effects are included. The elements are given in Table 1.

Table 1. Elements used

Material type Elements No. od nodes
Concrete Solid 65 8
Steel Beam 188 2
CFRP and GFRP Solid 185 8

The material properties of concrete given as input for it

ANSYS model are given in Table 2.

Table 2. Material Properties of Concrete for the Proposed

Model
Young’s modulus of concrete 2.23 * 104
Figure1. Modelling of RC beam kN/m2
Poisson’s ratio of concrete 0.15
Open shear transfer coefficient 0.23
Closed shear transfer coefficient 0.9
Uniaxial cracking stress 2.5
Uniaxial crushing stress -1

The shear transfer coefficient shows the Crack face and the
value ranges from 0.0 to 1.0. The value 0.0 represent the
smooth crack and 1.0 represent the rough crack

The material properties of steel given as input for it ANSYS

model are given in Table 3.

Table 3. Material Properties of Steel for the Proposed Model

Young’s modulus of concrete kN/m2 2*105
Poisson’s ratio of concrete 0.3
Yield stress of steel 415
Figure 2. Modelling of beam with opening in shear zone
The material properties of CFRP given as input for the
ANSYS model are given in Table4.

_______________________________________________________________________________________
Volume: 04 Special Issue: 09 | LACE-2015 | Aug-2015, Available @ http://www.ijret.org 12
IJRET: International Journal of Research in Engineering and Technology eISSN: 2319-1163 | pISSN: 2321-7308

Table 4. Material Properties of CFRP 4.2 DISCUSSIONS

Elastic modulus of elasticity Ex 2.3*105
in x direction kN/m From the results, the presence of opening in shear zone and
flexural zone not only reduces the load carrying capacity but
Elastic modulus of elasticity Ey 1.79*104
also reduces the stiffness of the beam. The load carrying
in y direction kN/m
capacity was increased by strengthing the beams with CFRP
Elastic modulus of elasticity Ez 1.79*104
and GFRP. The load carrying capacity of both inside and
in z direction kN/m
around the opening of the beam was maximum when
Poisson’s ratio in x direction PRXY 0.22
compared to inside the opening, around the opening for
Poisson’s ratio in y direction PRYZ 0.3 CFRP and GFRP. In the case of both inside and around the
Poisson’s ratio in z direction PRXZ 0.22 opening, the load carrying capacity for CFRP was maximum
Shear modulus in x direction Gxy 11790 compared to GFRP techniques due to deflection is minimum
kN/m2 in that.
Shear modulus in y direction Gyz 6880
kN/m2 The load deflection graph for the beams retrofitted with
Shear modulus in z direction Gxz 11790 CFRP in shear zone is shown in Figure 4.
kN/m2

The material properties of GFRP given as input for the

ANSYS model are given in Table 5

Table 5. Material Properties of GFRP

Elastic modulus of elasticity Ex 2.1*105
in x direction kN/m
Elastic modulus of elasticity Ey 7*103
in y direction kN/m
Elastic modulus of elasticity Ez 7*103
in z direction kN/m
Poisson’s ratio in x direction PRXY 0.26
Poisson’s ratio in y direction PRYZ 0.26
Poisson’s ratio in z direction PRXZ 0.30
Shear modulus in x direction Gxy 1520
kN/m2 From the figure, it can be seen that the deflection are
Shear modulus in y direction Gyz 1520 minimum for a given load in case of beams retrofitted with
kN/m2 CFRP inside and around the opening in Shear zone.
Shear modulus in z direction Gxz 2650
kN/m2 The load deflection graph for the beams retrofitted with
CFRP in Flexural zone is shown in Figure 5.
4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
4.1 RESULTS
Table 6 shows the Comparison of maximum deflection of
various types of beams.

Table 6. Comparison of maximum deflection

Beam Deflection for CFRP Deflection for
(mm) GFRP (mm)
RC beam 7.00258 7.0028

CFRP inside the opening 8.673 8.2792

in shear zone
CFRP around the opening 5.848 6.49041
in shear zone
CFRP inside and around 5.684 6.1728
the opening in shear zone
CFRP inside the opening 3.2351 2.0221
in Flexural zone
CFRP around the opening 3.17 2.01426 From the figure, it can be seen that the deflection are
in Flexural zone minimum for a given load in case of beams retrofitted with
CFRP inside and around 1.934 2.00221 CFRP inside and around the opening in Flexural zone.
the opening in Flexural
zone
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Volume: 04 Special Issue: 09 | LACE-2015 | Aug-2015, Available @ http://www.ijret.org 13
IJRET: International Journal of Research in Engineering and Technology eISSN: 2319-1163 | pISSN: 2321-7308

The load deflection graph for the beams retrofitted with The crack pattern for the beam retrofitted with CFRP in
GFRP in Shear zone is shown in Figure 6 Flexural zone for both around and inside the opening is
shown in Figure 9

Figure 9. Crack Pattern for CFRP in Flexural zone

From the figure, it can be seen that the deflection are
minimum for a given load in case of beams retrofitted with
GFRP inside and around the opening in Shear zone. 5. CONCLUSION
The load deflection graph for the beams retrofitted with  The load carrying of the beam were found to decreases
GFRP in Shear zone is shown in Figure 7 due to rectangular opening compared to solid beam.
Due to stress concentration, around the opening edges


the diagonal cracks were developed.
The external strengthening inside and around the
opening increases the stiffness of the beam and also


increases the load carrying capacity.
Strengthening of the beam around the opening is more
effective than inside the opening for both CFRP and


GFRP techniques.
Strengthening of the beam opening by using CFRP and
GFRP sheets for both around and inside the opening
increases the load carrying capacity significantly and
the percentage of increase in load carrying capacity for
CFRP sheets is 50%, where as in GFRP sheets
percentage of increase in load carrying capacity is


37%.
It can be concluded that the strengthening with CFRP
around and inside the opening is more effective and is
From the figure, it can be seen that the deflection are
considered as best strengthening scheme from the
minimum for a given load in case of beams retrofitted with

overall study.
GFRP inside and around the opening in Flexural zone.
These techniques help the engineers to strengthen the
openings provided in existing building.
The crack pattern for the beam retrofitted with CFRP in
Shear zone for both around and inside the opening is shown
in Figure 8 REFERENCES
[1] Santhakumar. R and Chandrasekaran” Analysis of
Retrofitted Reinforced Concrete Shear Beams using
Carbon Fibre Composites”, Electronic Journal of
Structural Engineering, 4 (2004), PP. 66-74.
[2] Shaishav R. Viradiya1, Tarak P. Vora “Comparative
study of experimental and analytical results of FRP
strengthened beams in flexure”, IJRET: International
Journal of Research in Engineering and Technology
eISSN: 2319-1163 | pISSN: 2321-7308, Volume-3,
Issue- 4, April -2014, PP. 555-559.
[3] Lavate .R.S, Patil. A. T, Patil A. M, Hargude. N.V,
“Dynamic Response Analysis of Fiber Reinforced
Composite Beam”, IOSR Journal of Mechanical and
Figure 8. Crack Pattern for CFRP in Shear zone
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Volume: 04 Special Issue: 09 | LACE-2015 | Aug-2015, Available @ http://www.ijret.org 14
IJRET: International Journal of Research in Engineering and Technology eISSN: 2319-1163 | pISSN: 2321-7308

Civil Engineering (IOSR-JMCE) ISSN: 2278-1684, PP:

38-47.
[4] Omran H.Y, Zangeneh.P and EL-Hacha. R, “Finite
element modelling of steel-concrete composite beams
strengthened with prestressed CFRP plate” International
institute for FRP, December- 2009, PP. 187-192.

_______________________________________________________________________________________
Volume: 04 Special Issue: 09 | LACE-2015 | Aug-2015, Available @ http://www.ijret.org 15