Strengthening of RC beams in flexure using natural jute fibre textile reinforced composite system and its comparative study with CFRP and GFRP strengthening systems

Abstract Jute textile reinforced polymer composite system was developed and its tensile, flexural behaviour was characterised and compared with that of carbon textile (CFRP) and glass textile (GFRP) reinforced polymer composite. As India is one of the largest producers of jute, hence its potential application in many branches of engineering should be developed. In the present work the efficacy of jute textile reinforced polymer composite (JFRP) as compared to CFRP and GFRP for the flexural strengthening of reinforced concrete beams was compared by carrying out bending test on reinforced concrete beams in three groups of fourteen beams. The work carries out the study of failure modes, flexural strengthening effect on ultimate load and load deflection behaviour as well as the deflection ductility study of RC beams bonded externally with JFRP, CFRP and GFRP, wrapped in U configuration in single layer, along the entire length of the beam in full wrapping and strip wrapping technique. The results depicted that JFRP, CFRP and GFRP, strengthening improved the ultimate flexural strength of the RC beams by 62.5%, 150% and 125%, respectively, with full wrapping technique and by 25%, 50% and 37.5%, respectively with strip wrapping technique. JFRP strengthening displayed highest deformability index and proved that jute textile FRP material has huge potential as a structural strengthening material.

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