Experimental Analysis of the Strength of Reinforced Concrete Beams strengthened with Carbon Fibers and Steel Bars by the Near Surface Mounted Method (NSM
Reinforced Concrete
Near Surface Mounted
Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer
structural strengthening
In order to investigate the bending behavior of reinforced concrete beams reinforced by the NSM technique, an experimental program of twelve beams was designed, with variable bending reinforcement rates (ρs = 0.19%, ρs = 0.29%, ρs = 0.48% and ρs = 0.75%) and two different types of reinforcement, considering the use of steel bars with cement-based adhesive or CFRP laminates with epoxy-based resin.
The twelve beams were tested in the laboratory, this series being composed of four reference beams (without reinforcement), four reinforced with steel bars and four reinforced with CFRP laminates.
The experimental results indicated that the beams reinforced with steel bars and CFRP laminates had a very similar behavior, being both efficient solutions to increase the resistance capacity of the elements. Also, by increasing the rate of bending reinforcement of the beams, the increase in load provided by the reinforcement reduces, since to provide more significant increments of resistant capacity, high amounts of reinforcement would be required, which are not applicable in practice, given the limitations dimensions of the design indicated by the standards.
Comparing the results estimated by the theoretical formulations of ACI 440.2R (2017) and fib Bulletin 90 (2019) with the experimental results, it is observed that both presented adequate results in estimating the ultimate load and failure mode of the beams.