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Ductility of CFRP Strengthened Reinforced Concrete Flexural Members
Abstract
Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites are used to enhance flexural, shear, and axial strength of reinforced concrete (RC) members. The degree of strength increase depends on the detailing of the CFRP system and the properties of the RC beam section. For CFRP strengthened RC beams with straight CFRP sheets/strips for increasing flexural strength, the ultimate mode of failure is dominated by sudden debonding of the CFRP system. Such bond failure is controlled by shear-tension failure of the concrete cover. Several researchers investigated the use of various types of end transverse and diagonal CFRP anchor to enhance the ductility of CFRP strengthened RC beams. However, the ductility of such members also depends on the properties of the RC beam section and the reinforcement ratio. This paper presents a comprehensive investigation into the properties of CFRP strengthened RC beams, along with experimental and analytical studies. The results of this investigation suggest that the ductility of a CFRP strengthened RC beam depends on various parameters, which include the reinforcement ratio, CFRP ratio, shear span to depth ratio, and detailing of the CFRP system.