BEHAVIOR OF SIMPLY-SUPPORTED AND CONTINUOUS RC BEAMS STRENGTHENED WITH CARBON FRP SHEETS

A promising new technique for the rehabilitation and strengthening of reinforced concrete structures is the application of bonded sheets of fiber reinforced plastic (FRP). The system can be applied by semi-skilled workers to the underside of existing bridge decks and beams resulting in minimal disturbance to traffic on the structure. Several systems of this material are commercially available and are being promoted by their manufacturers for application to in situ bridge repairs. This paper describes an experimental program developed to determine the basic properties of reinforced concrete beams repaired with bonded FRP sheets.