Abstract
With the development of new technologies, there has been an increasing interest among federal agencies, engineers, contractors, and owners in using non-metallic reinforcement in the construction of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. Durability issues due to the corrosion of steel reinforcement are the primary cause of this interest. Developing the use of non-metallic reinforcements leads to more resilient and sustainable structures that are less prone to deterioration, lawsuits, and costly repairs. Steel reinforcement corrosion, followed by concrete cracking and spalling, is one of the most common types of RC deterioration. Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) reinforcement is a promising candidate to replace steel due to its non-corrosive behavior, lower transportation costs, and shorter construction time. This dissertation includes three studies touching on three different aspects of academic research: design and calculations, hands-on experiments and analysis, and field implementation of the technology. The three studies intended to tackle the obstacles of using GFRP in the construction of RC structures.