Four-Point Bending Test of Reinforced Concrete Beams Strengthening with Epoxy Resin Bonded Steel Plates

Abstract

This research work is aimed to experimentally study the structural behavior on strength capacity and deformation of under-reinforced concrete beams strengthened in flexure with externally epoxy bonded steel plates to the tension face of the beams under four-point bending test. In the experimental program, a total of twelve simply supported beam specimens that consist of four ordinary reinforced concrete beams as control beams and the remaining eight reinforced concrete beams externally reinforced with bonded steel plates, have been designed and all tested in laboratory under monotonically increasing symmetrical loads. The interested parameters involving the concrete compressive strength, the steel plate thickness, and the type of reinforcing steel bars on the beam sections which may be singly or doubly reinforcements are simultaneously considered and investigated. The obtained results are dealt with for the load-deflection relationships, initial cracking load, yielding load, and ultimate load. The failure mode and cracking behavior of tested beams are presented and discussed in details. The tests indicate that the premature failure due to plate-end peeling is one of the major factors to decrease the efficiency and performance of flexural strengthening reinforced concrete beams.