ANALYTICAL STUDY ON FLEXURAL BEHAVIOR OF RC BEAMS EXTERNALLY STRENGTHENED WITH FRP COMPOSITES

Abstract

One of the techniques developed during the last decade for flexural strengthening of reinforced concrete (RC) beams is the use of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) plate externally bonded to the tension face. With the addition of FRP reinforcement, beams exhibit several unique failure modes under flexural loading; rupture of a FRP plate, concrete cover separation, and plate end and intermediate interfacial debonding of a FRP plate. Flexural strengthening of reinforced concrete beams using the carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) materials have been examined by many researchers, and it was shown to be an effective means of strengthening.