College of Engineering, University of Babylon, Babylon, Iraq
Abstract
Using externally bonded (EB) fibre-reinforced composites for the enhancement of (RC) reinforced concrete structures had been addressed in extensive research throughout recent years. Despite the numerous works on the flexural, shear and axial strengthening of reinforced concrete members, yet there are not as many works on the torsional strengthening. As a result, information about how reinforced RC members under torsion behave in EB composites tends to be rather limited. The torsional strengthening of RC beams using EB composites will be thoroughly analyzed and reviewed in this research. After a thorough literature review, a database of experimental tests is established, containing beams made of EB Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP). To ascertain the effectiveness of the strengthening system, the geometric and mechanical features of RC beams, composite kinds, and casing configurations were assessed, along with the investigation of several failure modes for failure beams. It was concluded that, according to the experimental data, the torsional strength of RC beams can be improved by using FRCM composites and EB FRP. A torsional strength increase of the database beams ranged from 0% to 178%, with an average of 51%. Fully wrapped beams showed the greatest increase in torsional strength.
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