Experimental Evaluation of Shear Strengthening Techniques for RC Beams Using FRP and UHPC
摘要
Reinforced concrete (RC) beams in buildings and bridges often require shear strengthening. Strengthening is necessary to address various things like poor design, increased load demands, ageing of infrastructure, and deterioration due to environmental effects. The current research examines the efficacy of strengthening systems using carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) and ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) in enhancing the shear capacity of reinforced concrete (RC) beams. Five RC beams of size 300 × 300 × 1500 mm are cast and strengthened with four different strengthening techniques. These tested beams include (a) control RC beam (RC), RC beam strengthened using (b) CFRP fabric and pre-cured laminated at the soffit (RC_FS), (c) RC_FS and externally bonded with U wrap of CFRP fabric (RC_FS_EB), (d) RC_FS and a hybrid combination of EB U wrap and NSM with CFRP laminate (RC_FS_HYB) and (e) RC_FS and UHPC on three sides of the beam (RC_FS_UHO). Combining CFRP and UHPC provide promising strengthening solutions for increasing shear performance. CFRP offers a lightweight and easily installed option, while UHPC delivers a more durable and resilient alternative for strengthening RC beams. All the strengthening techniques effectively improve the shear capacity of the RC beam. The beam strengthened using the hybrid combination of EB U-wrap with NSM laminates (RC_FS_HYB) enhances the shear capacity and stiffness better than all other strengthened beams.