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The presented study was conducted to assess the shear capacity and the mechanical behavior of fiber reinforced concrete two-span beams in a five-point bending test. Experimental research was focused on observing changes in the behavior of tested elements depending on the amount of shear reinforcement (stirrups) and the fiber type used. The beams had varied stirrup spacing and two sorts of fibers were used as dispersed reinforcement. The steel fiber content was 78.5 kg/m3and the basalt fiber content was 5.0 kg/m3. Concrete beams without addition of fibers were also examined as reference ones. The effectiveness of both sorts of fibers as shear reinforcement was assessed on the basis of strain development and crack pattern analysis. The digital image correlation technique was used to monitor the development of cracks around the central support of beams. It was shown that fibers control the cracking process and deformations in reinforced concrete beams and they can be effectively used as additional or the only shear reinforcement. The results of shear capacity obtained in the experiment were also compared with the shear capacity calculated according to current design approaches. This analysis has shown that fibers enhance the ultimate shear strength of reinforced concrete beams.

The presented study was conducted to assess the shear capacity and the mechanical behavior of fiber reinforced concrete two-span beams in a five-point bending test. Experimental research was focused on observing changes in the behavior of tested elements depending on the amount of shear reinforcement (stirrups) and the fiber type used. The beams had varied stirrup spacing and two sorts of fibers were used as dispersed reinforcement. The steel fiber content was 78.5 kg/m3and the basalt fiber content was 5.0 kg/m3. Concrete beams without addition of fibers were also examined as reference ones. The effectiveness of both sorts of fibers as shear reinforcement was assessed on the basis of strain development and crack pattern analysis. The digital image correlation technique was used to monitor the development of cracks around the central support of beams. It was shown that fibers control the cracking process and deformations in reinforced concrete beams and they can be effectively used as additional or the only shear reinforcement. The results of shear capacity obtained in the experiment were also compared with the shear capacity calculated according to current design approaches. This analysis has shown that fibers enhance the ultimate shear strength of reinforced concrete beams.

Masonry arches and vaults often need repair and/or strengthening because of damage which can occur due to such factors as material degradation, forced displacements of supports or increase of service loads, which can finally cause their failure. A possible solution for preventing failure or to reinforce already cracked arches or vaults can be properly applied FRP composites - strips or sheets. The basis of analytical and numerical models of FRP and masonry, as well as some results of selected 3D numerical calculations of masonry cross vaults strengthened with FRP strips are presented in the paper.

•Finite element method (FEM) modelling of not-damaged and cracked masonry vaults.•Results of FEM calculations of masonry cross vaults strengthened with fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) strips.•Definition of aims of strengthening of masonry vaults with FRP strips.

The article presents the process of creating a computational model for the stability analysis of a harbour wharf’s embankment with regards to its failure. The described elements that were taken into account at the stage of data preparation are: historical analysis of the structure (structural calculations, and the calculations of the stability of the embankment), results of the author’s own soil and material tests (concrete, steel), environmental conditions (atmospheric and water), the possible load systems that acted on the facility, and also the results from the 3D model of the wharf’s structure. On this basis, five computational schemes were prepared for computer simulations of the stability of the embankment in a plain state of deformations. Various stages and conditions of its operation were taken into account. In conclusion, a possible course of the process of destruction of the structure of the harbour wharf, and the river embankment that cooperates with it, was proposed.