The use of fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcement in buildings is gaining acceptance in the construction industry due to their superior corrosion resistance, durability and higher strength. Of the various types of fibres used in producing FRP reinforcement, carbon fibers provide higher elastic modulus. Therefore, carbon-fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) bars and grids are more suitable for use in building construction. Research on seismic performance of FRP reinforced concrete buildings is currently limited worldwide. The paper reports on dynamic response of two CFRP reinforced concrete buildings designed for Vancouver, Canada, following the seismic requirements of the National Building Code of Canada (NBCC 2005) and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) S806-02 (2002) for “Design and Construction of Building Components with Fibre-Reinforced Polymers”. A computer program was developed for dynamic response history analysis, incorporating a hysteretic model for FRP reinforced concrete elements. The buildings were analyzed under NBCC compatible earthquake records to establish design force and deformation demands. The results indicate that FRP reinforcement can be used to reinforce concrete buildings in seismically active regions with structural elements designed not to suffer from the rupturing of CFRP prior to the onset of concrete crushing. FRP reinforced concrete buildings designed to respond in the elastic mode of deformations remain within the force and deformation demands indicated in building codes. Inelastic response of buildings under amplified ground excitations indicate that it is possible to reduce design force levels through limited inelasticity provided by confining the compression concrete in members and eliminating tension failure in FRP reinforcement.
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