Flexural strengthening of RC beams with NSM CFRP laminates

Abstract

The paper presents test results of reinforced concrete beams flexurally strengthened with Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) laminates using the Near Surface Mounted (NSM) technique. RC beams with a cross section of 200 x 400 mm were tested in four-point bending. Two RC beams were strengthened with one NSM CFRP laminate installed into the concrete cover on the bottom side of the beam. One of the beams was strengthened under the self-weight (B10.1) and the second one under initial preloading equal to 83% of the ultimate load of the reference beam (B10.1o). Failure mechanisms, cracking pattern and flexural behaviour of the beams are described in the paper. All the strengthened beams failed by rupture of the CFRP laminates followed by the internal steel reinforcement yielding. High strengthening efficiency of the NSM strengthening was confirmed by 109% and 130% when compared with the non-strengthened beam, respectively for beams B10.1 and B10.1o.