Evaluating Seismic Resistance and Energy Dissipation of CFRP-Reinforced Concrete Frames Under Monotonic Loading

Reinforced concrete structures are increasingly vulnerable to deterioration by steel reinforcement corrosion, resulting in severe loss of fracture strength and service life, particularly in severe environmental exposure. Carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRPs) are a corrosion-resistant alternative with high-strength performance for construction in seismic and corrosive environments. This work studies the structural behavior of CFRP-reinforced concrete (CRC) frames through numerical simulation and validates them against experimental results. Five full-size CRC frames, with four beams and four columns in a grid arrangement, were loaded monotonically and reversed laterally under constant gravity loads. CFRP bars were used as longitudinal and transverse reinforcement. Parametric analysis was conducted using nonlinear pushover analysis (POA) in SAP2000 (v2014) based on reinforcement area and cross-section member variations. The result shows that CRC frames have sufficient strength, energy dissipation, and deformation capacity, which justifies using CFRP as a long-term alternative to steel in seismically active and corrosive environments. The study's findings confirm the feasibility of designing large-scale ductile structures by driving key structural parameters, such as concrete compressive strength and beam-column rotational stiffness. Additionally, doubling the rotational stiffness caused the ductility ratio to be fourfold. Additionally, enhancing concrete confinement, particularly with lateral confinement stress being four times greater than vertical stress, resulted in a nearly 187% ductility increase under unconfined circumstances. These results emphasize joint stiffness and confinement's crucial role in achieving optimum seismic performance.