The study reported here aims to investigate the application of shape memory alloys (SMAs) in the form of strips for strengthening cracked reinforced concrete (RC) beams. The study proposes an innovative technique for prestressing RC beams by utilizing the shape recovery property of the alloy. Nine full-scale RC beams with a length of 3.75 m and a cross-section of 200 mm × 300 mm were categorized into three groups based on the steel reinforcement ratio, and tested under static loading. Three RC beams were used as control specimens and the other six were retrofitted with either one layer or two layers of SMA strips. The beams to be strengthened were exposed to an initial applied load before the installation of the SMA strip to simulate the deterioration scenario. SMA strips were retrofitted on the soffits of the deteriorated beams and activated by applying temperature from an external heat source while the temperature-deflection-strain measurements were monitored. Specimens were tested again up to failure to evaluate the strength improvement of the retrofitted specimens. Beams retrofitted with one layer of SMA experienced a deflection recovery up to 2.3 mm upon activation and an additional service load of up to 62%, whereas beams retrofitted with two layers experienced a deflection recovery up to 2.8 mm and an additional service load of up to 95%. In general, the deflection recovery was proportional to the ratio of the total reinforcement ratio after strengthening to the initial reinforcement ratio before strengthening. Therefore, tested specimens with two SMA layers experienced less improvement than specimens with one SMA layer. Finally, the experimental results were evaluated with two analytical methods: ACI method and the non-linear sectional analysis proposed by Oukaili.
This study conducted an analytical investigation on the behavior of concrete beams with openings reinforced by glass-fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars. In this study, five proposed beams reinforced by GFRP bars as flexural and shear reinforcement with openings were numerically examined. The variables were the opening orientation (vertical and horizontal) and the number of openings. These openings were located within the flexural zone of the proposed beams. The result shows that the vertical openings had a significant effect over the horizontal openings on reducing the ultimate load and increasing the mid-span deflection compared with the control beam. Moreover, the results showed t
This study conducted an analytical investigation on the behavior of concrete beams with openings reinforced by glass-fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars. In this study, five proposed beams reinforced by GFRP bars as flexural and shear reinforcement with openings were numerically examined. The variables were the opening orientation (vertical and horizontal) and the number of openings. These openings were located within the flexural zone of the proposed beams. The result shows that the vertical openings had a significant effect over the horizontal openings on reducing the ultimate load and increasing the mid-span deflection compared with the control beam. Moreover, the results showed t
This paper introduces experimental results of eighteen simply supported reinforced concrete beams of cross sections ( ) and length 3000 mm to study the effect of lacing reinforcement on the performance of such beams under static and fatigue loads. Twelve reinforced concrete beams (two of them are casted with vertical shear reinforcement used as control beams) are tested under four points bending loading with displacement control technique and six laced reinforced concrete beams were exposed to high frequency (10 Hz) by fixing the fatigue load in each cycle. Three parameters are used in the designed beams, which are: lacing bar diameter (4mm, 6mm, and 8mm), lacing bar inclination angle to horizontal , and lacing steel rat
... Show MoreNon-biodegradability of rubber tires contributes to pollution and fire hazards in the natural environment. In this study, the flexural behavior of the Rubberized Reactive Powder Concrete (RRPC) beams that contained various proportions and sizes of scrap tire rubber was investigated and compared to the flexural behavior of the regular RPC. Fresh properties, hardened properties, load-deflection relation, first crack load, ultimate load, and crack width are studied and analyzed. Mixes were made using micro steel fiber of the straight type, and they had an aspect ratio of 65. Thirteen beams were tested under two loading points (Repeated loading) with small-scale beams (1100 mm, 150 mm, 100 mm) size.
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... Show MoreFor more than a decade, externally bonded carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites successfully utilized in retrofitting reinforced concrete structural elements. The function of CFRP reinforcement in increasing the ductility of reinforced concrete (RC) beam is essential in such members. Flexural and shear behaviors, ductility, and confinement were the main studied properties that used the CFRP as a strengthening material. However, limited attention has been paid to investigate the energy absorption of torsion strengthening of concrete members, especially two-span concrete beams. Hence, the target of this work is to investigate the effectiveness of CFRP-strengthening technique with regard to energy absorption of two-span RC
... Show MoreThis study aimed at evaluating the torsional capacity of reinforced concrete (RC) beams externally wrapped with fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) materials. An analytical model was described and used as a new computational procedure based on the softened truss model (STM) to predict the torsional behavior of RC beams strengthened with FRP. The proposed analytical model was validated with the existing experimental data for rectangular sections strengthened with FRP materials and considering torque-twist relationship and crack pattern at failure. The confined concrete behavior, in the case of FRP wrapping, was considered in the constitutive laws of concrete in the model. Then, an efficient algorithm was developed in MATLAB environment t
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