Strengthening of reinforced concrete beams with composite materials: theoretical study

This paper deals with the flexural strengthening of reinforced concrete beams by means of composite thin plates. It presents a theoretical model which was developed to study the effects of various parameters on the flexural behavior of strengthened beams. From a parametric study carried out with the model, it was found that the most significant parameters affecting the ultimate flexural resistance are the concrete compressive strength, the percentage of reinforcing steel, the modulus of elasticity of the composite material and the thickness of the strengthening plate. To avoid brittle flexural failure of strengthened beams, limiting quantities of strengthening material are specified as a function of a strengthening index.