Performance assessment of RC beams with CFRP and GFRP sheets

Abstract

Concrete is one of the most common building materials and is used for constructing buildings, bridges and other heavy structures. Strengthening structures via external bonding of advanced fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) composites is becoming verypopular worldwide during the past few decades, because it provides a more economicaland technically superior alternative to the traditional techniques in many situations, as it offers high strength, low weight, corrosion resistance, high fatigue resistance, easy and rapid installation and minimal change in structural geometry. It is important to understand the behaviour of a strengthened structure well and realize what parameters affect the failure mode and load-bearing capacity.The aim of this study istoinvestigate and improve the understanding of the behaviour of reinforced concrete (RC) beams strengthened with fibre composite. In the present study, a numerical investigation is carried out to study the behaviour of RC beams under static three-point loading. Concrete beam specimens with dimensions of 130 mm width, 200 mm height, and 2,500 mm length were modelled. The beams were strengthened with externally bonded glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) sheets and carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets. The present study examines the responses of the RC beams with GFRP and CFRP sheets by increasing number of layers using finite element simulation in ABAQUS, in terms of failure modes, enhancement of load carrying capacity, load-deflection behaviour and flexural behaviour.