International Concrete Abstracts Portal

Title: Experimental Study of Concrete Girders Retrofitted With Epoxy-Bonded Composite Laminates

Author(s): Hamid Saadatmanesh and Mohammed R. Ehsani

Publication: Special Publication

Volume: 165

Issue:

Appears on pages(s): 205-234

Keywords: beams (supports); bonding; cracking (fracturing); girders; composite construction (concrete and plastic); epoxy resins; plates (structural members); Structural Research

Date: 12/1/1996

Abstract:
The static strength of reinforced concrete (RC) beams strengthened by gluing glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP) plates to their tension flanges is experimentally investigated. Five rectangular beams and one T- beam were tested to failure under four-point bending. The measured load versus strain in GFRP plates, steel reinforcing bars, extreme compression fiber of concrete, and the load versus deflection for the section at midspan of the beams are plotted and compared to the predicted values. The results indicate that the flexural strength of RC beams can be significantly increased by gluing GFRP plates to the tension face. In addition, the epoxy- bonded plates improved the cracking behavior of the beams by delaying the formation of visible cracks and reducing crack widths at higher load levels.