EFFECT OF FRP WRAPPING ON PERFORMANCE OF RC BEAM BEHAVIOUR

Abstract

An experimental study is carried out to study the effect of FRP strengthening on shear and flexure deficient RC beams. The use of FRP in strengthening technique is an effective - solution as it possess high strength to weight ratio and does not increase the dead load on the member. In order to estimate the effect of FRP on RC members, the material properties and mechanical behavior of the constituent materials must be well established. Hence, experiments were conducted on plain concrete members to characterize the compression, flexural, fractural and split tension behavior. Two different type of beams, with three different FRP strengthened in three distinct pattern were tested in the flexure testing machine under two point loading. The load deflection behavior of the strengthened specimens were compared with the conventional specimens. It is found that the strengthened beam specimen exhibits high strength and deflection as compared with the conventional. This depends on the type of FRP and the pattern in which it was used. The energy dissipation and ductile behavior of the specimens is quantified. It is found that in the strengthened specimens the energy dissipation is high with enhanced ductile behavior. The stiffness degradation plots of the strengthened specimens show that the failure is at a slower rate when compared with the conventional. The post elastic rotation values are comparatively high than the conventional which confide on the FRP and its pattern of strengthening. Thus from the experimental study it can be concluded that the FRP strengthening technique can be effectively used to enhance the behavior of the specimen in flexure as well as shear. However proper application of FRP has to be done as the strength variation occurs, which depend on the pattern and the variety of FRP used. 'I'his strengthening technique also enhance the ductile behavior of specimens, altering the brittle mode of failure.