NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF RC BEAMS FLEXURALLY STRENGTHENED BY CFRP LAMINATES

This paper presents the results of analytical studies concerning the flexural strengthening of reinforced concrete beams bv external bonding of high-strength lightweight carbon fiber reinforced plastic (cfrp) plates to tension face of the beam. three groups of beams were tested analytically and compared with existing experimental results: results of the numerical analyses showed that, although addition of cfrp plates to the tension face of the beam increases the strength, it decreases the beam ductility. finite element modeling of fifteen different beams in a parametric study indicates that steel area ratio, cfrp thickness, cfrp ultimate strength and elastic modulus considerably influence the level of strengthening and ductility.