Torsional Capacity of CFRP Strengthened Reinforced Concrete Beams

摘要

Many buildings and bridge elements are subjected to significant torsional moments that affect the design, and may require strengthening. Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) has shown great promise as a state-of-the-art material in flexural and shear strengthening as external reinforcement, but information on its applicability in torsional strengthening is limited. Furthermore, available design tools are sparse and unproven. This paper briefly recounts the experimental work in an overall investigation of torsional strengthening of solid and box-section reinforced concrete beams with externally bonded carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP). A database of previous experimental research available in literature was compiled and compared against fib Bulletin 14. Modifications consistent with the space truss model were proposed to correct the poor accuracy in predictions of CFRP contribution to strength. Subsequently, a design tool to analyze the full torsional capacity of strengthened reinforced concrete beams was validated against the experimental database.