This paper presents the nonlinear finite element analysis to predict the behavior of reinforced concrete beams shear-strengthened with fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) laminates. In this study, material and structural modeling concepts are proposed to enable the use of finite element methods for the analysis of reinforced concrete beams shear-strengthened with FRP composites. According to the proposed modeling methods, a finite element analysis is performed using a two-dimensional nonlinear finite element analysis program, VecTor2, based on the Disturbed Stress Field Model (DSFM). The numerical techniques are used to represent the FRP composite, bond properties between the FRP and the concrete, and reinforced concrete beams.
To verify the application of the DSFM for the prediction of the behavior of the shear-critical beams strengthened with FRP composites in shear, a detailed comparison between experimental and numerical results for the response of the beams is carried out. Simply supported reinforced concrete beams with FRP wrap material are collected from the literature to use in the verification. It is found that the proposed numerical modeling methods are successfully used to predict the constitutive states, as well as the damage mode, crack pattern, and hysteretic behavior of the shear-critical beams strengthened with FRP composites.