• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.75-98
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• 2013

This study focuses on shear strengthening performance of simply supported reinforced concrete (RC) T-beams bonded by glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) strips in different configuration, orientations and transverse steel reinforcement in different spacing. Eighteen RC T-beams of 2.5 m span are tested. Nine beams are used as control beam. The stirrups are provided in three different spacing such as without stirrups and with stirrups at a spacing of 200 mm and 300 mm. Another nine beams are used as strengthened beams. GFRP strips are bonded in shear zone in U-shape and side shape with two types of orientation of the strip at $45^{\circ}$ and $90^{\circ}$ to the longitudinal axis of the beam for each type of stirrup spacing. The experimental result indicates that the beam strengthened with GFRP strips at $45^{\circ}$ orientation to the longitudinal axis of the beam are much more effective than $90^{\circ}$ orientation. Also as transverse steel increases, the effectiveness of the GFRP strips decreases.

• KCI Concrete Journal
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.51-60
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• 2002

Strengthening of existing concrete structures is a major concern in recent years as the number of degraded structures increases. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the static and fatigue behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) beams strengthened with steel plates. To this end, a comprehensive test program has been set up and many series of strengthened beams have been tested. The major test variables include the plate thickness, adhesive thickness, and the shear-span to depth ratio. The test results indicate that the separation of plates is the dominant failure mechanism even for the full-span-length strengthened beams with steel plate. The theoretical ultimate load capacities for strengthened beams based on the full composite action of concrete beam and steel plate are found to be larger than the actual measured load capacities. The strengthened beams exhibit more dominant shear cracking as the shear-span to depth ratio decreases. The ultimate capacity of strengthened beams increases slightly with the increase of adhesive thickness, which may be caused by the late initiation of plate separation in the beams with thicker adhesive. A realistic concept of ductility for plate-strengthened beams is proposed in this study. It is seen that the strengthened beams show relatively low ductility compared with unstrengthened beams. The present study indicates that the strengthened beams exhibit much higher fatigue resistance than the unstrengthened beams. The increase of deflections of strengthened beams according to the number of load cycles is much smaller than that of unstrengthened beams. The present study provides very useful results for the realistic application of plate-strengthening method in reinforced concrete structures.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.299-305
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• 2008

The main goal of this study was to examine the shear behavior of reinforced concrete beams strengthened with CFRP strups. Seven rectangular beams were tested. The test variables were the configuration types, spacing length of CFRP strips and the amount of reinforced stirrups bars. From this experimental study, the shear capacity of beams strengthened with CFRP increased significantly compared to the beam without CFRP strip. Maximum increase of ultimate shear strength was found about 100% more than that of the beam without a CFRP strip and the CFRP strips attached in the shear region can resist the occurrence of the initial shear cracks and the propagation of major shear cracks. In this test, most of the shear strengthened beams failed suddenly due to the debonding of CFRP strips. A calculation of the shear strength of reinforced beams strengthened with CFRP strips based on the effective stresses was conducted and the comparisons were made with the test results.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.819-838
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• 2013

This paper summarises the results of an experimental study to investigate the flexural behaviour of reinforced concrete beams strengthened using carbon-fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminate in four-point bending. The experimental parameters included are the reinforcing bar ratio ${\rho}_s$ and preload level. Four bar ratios were selected (${\rho}_s=0.13$ to 0.86%), representing the section of two longitudinal tensile reinforcements, with diameters of 8, 14, 16, and 20 mm in order to reveal the effect of bar ratio on failure load and failure mode. Eight beams that could be considered "full-scale" in size, measuring 200 mm in width, 400 mm in total height and 2300 mm in length, were tested. Three beams were selected with different bar ratios (${\rho}_1$, ${\rho}_2$, ${\rho}_3$), and considered as control specimens (without ), while three other beams identical to the control beams with the same CFRP laminates ratio and a seventh beam with ${\rho}_{min}$ (the lowest bar ratio) were also used. In the second part of the study, two beams with the bar ratio ${\rho}_2$ were preloaded at two levels, 50 and 100% of their ultimate loads, and then repaired. This experimental investigation was consolidated using an analytical model. The experimental and analytical results indicate that the flexional capacity and stiffness of strengthened and repaired beams using CFRP laminate were increased compared to those of control beams, and the behaviour of repaired beams was nearly similar to the undamaged and strengthened beams; unlike the ductility of strengthened beams, which was greatly reduced compared to the control.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.4 no.5
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• pp.333-353
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• 2004

Strength of reinforced concrete beams can easily be increased by the use of externally bonded CFRP composites. However, the mode of failure of CFRP strengthened beam is usually brittle due to tension-shear failure in the concrete substrate or bond failure near the CFRP-Concrete interface. In order to improve the ductility of CFRP strengthened concrete beams, critical variables need to be investigated. This experimental and analytical research focused on a series of reinforced concrete beams strengthened with CFRP composites to enhance the flexural capacity and ductility. The main variables were the amount of CFRP composites, the amount of longitudinal and shear reinforcement, and the effect of CFRP end diagonal anchorage system. Sixteen full-scale beams were investigated. A new design guideline was proposed according to the effects of the above-mentioned variables. The experimental and analytical results were found to be in good agreement.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.997-1002
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• 2001

Tensile strength of CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer) is approximately 10 times higher than that steel reinforcement, but the design strength of CFRP is normally reduced by the bond failure between RC and CFRP. Many researches have been carried out, concerned with bond behavior between RC and CFRP to prevent the unpredicted bond failure of RC beam strengthened by CFRP, but the national design code for design bond strength of CFRP hasn't been constructed. In this study, 3 beams specimen strengthened by CFRP under the variable of bonded length were tested to derive the design bond strength of CFRP to the RC flexural members. Also 2 beams specimen strengthened by CFRP were tested to inspect the construction environment effects such as mixing error of epoxy resin and the amount of primer epoxy resin. From the test results, It is concluded that the maximum design bond strength of CFRP to RC flexural member is considered to be $\tau_{a}$=8kgf/$cm^{2}$.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.62 no.3
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• pp.291-295
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• 2017

The behaviour of reinforced concrete beams strengthened with near surface mounted (NSM) CFRP prestressed prisms was experimentally investigated. Five RC beams were tested under four point bending. All beams were made with dimensions of 300 mm in width, 2000 mm in length and 150 in depth. The effects of presstress level of CFRP prestressed prisms and prism material type were studied. The failure mode, load capacity, deflection, CFRP strain, steel strain and ductility of the tested beams were all analyzed. The results showed that the behavior of the reinforced concrete beams strengthened with NSM CFRP prestressed prisms showed a significant increase in the load-carrying capacity and the deformation capacity. The NSM CFRP prestressed prisms strengthening technique could be considered as an effective method for repairing RC structures.

• KCI Concrete Journal
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.69-77
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• 2000

The reinforced concrete(RC) flexural members strengthened with steel plate/CFS at soffit have initial stresses and strains in reinforcements and concrete caused by the service loads at the time of retrofitting works. These initial residual stresses and strains of strengthened beams may affect the flexural performance of the rehabilitated beams. The objective of this study is to evaluate and verify the effectiveness of rehabilitation by external bonded steel plates and CFS to the tension face of the beams under three conditions of pre-loading. Thirteen beam specimens are tested and analyzed. Main test parameters are pre-loading conditions, strengthening materials and reinforcement ratio of specimens. The effect of test parameters on the strengthened beams is analyzed from the maximum load capacity, load-deflection relationship, state of stress of the materials. crack propagation phase, and failure modes. Both test results and design formulas of ACI Code provisions are compared and evaluated.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.705-733
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• 2012

In this work, an experimental examination was carried out to study interfacial stresses developed at the junction zones between carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) fabrics (~1 mm thickness) and tensile concrete portion in CFRP retrofitted RC beams. In this respect, initially six similar RC beams of $150{\times}150{\times}1000mm$ dimensions were prepared. Three of which were strengthened with CFRP fabrics at the tensile side of the beams. Furthermore, a notch was cut at the center of the bottom surface for all of the studied beams. The notch was 15 mm deep and ran across the full width of tension side of the beams. The mentioned interfacial stresses could be calculated from strains measured using strain gauges mounted on the interface zone of the tensile concrete and the CFRP sheet. Based on the results obtained, it is shown that interfacial stresses developed between CFRP fabrics and RC beam had a noticeable effect on debonding failure mode of the latter. The load carrying capacity of CFRP strengthened RC specimens increased ~75% compared to that of the control RC beams. This was attributed to the enhancement of flexural mode of the former. Finally, finite element analysis was also utilized to verify the measured experimental results.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.435-454
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• 2011

Bonding composite materials to structural members for strengthening purpose has received a considerable attention in recent years. The major problem when using bonded FRP or steel plates to strengthen existing structures is the high interfacial stresses that may be built up near the plate ends which lead to premature failure of the structure. As a result, many researchers have developed several analytical methods to predict the interface performance of bonded repairs. In this paper, a numerical solution using finite - difference method is used to calculate the interfacial stress distribution in beams strengthened with FRP plate having a tapered ends with different thinning profiles. These latter, can significantly reduce the stress concentration. In the present theoretical analysis, the adherend shear deformations are taken into account by assuming a parabolic shear stress through the thickness of both beam and bonded plate. Numerical results from the present analysis are presented to demonstrate the advantages of use the tapers in design of strengthened beams.