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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 31 July 2014
The increasing use of polymeric reinforcements in concrete structures requires either the development of a new design theory or the adaptation of current designs considering the engineering properties of this type of materials. In this work a method for calculating the deflections of reinforced concrete elements is proposed, which can be used in predicting the flexural behavior of longitudinally reinforced concrete with PET strips in amounts up to 1%. The model theory assumes that concrete has a tensile load capacity different to zero, characterized by a uniaxial tensile stress-strain diagram. A series of tests were conducted to corroborate the validity of the suggested method, showing that the theory also correctly predicts the creep deformation post-cracking. The deflection results of reinforced concrete with recycled PET strips are presented. The tests are carried out by a simple beam with center-point loading, using three different amounts of reinforcement and comparing the experimental results with the theoretical results of the proposed model.