article · Structural Concrete
Prefabricated ultra-high performance fibre-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) plates offer an effective method for shear strengthening reinforced concrete beams. In experimental and numerical tests, prefabricated plates were bonded to concrete beam surfaces using epoxy to assess performance and simplify on-site installation. Investigations evaluated strengthening on either one or both longitudinal sides, comparing reinforced plates with non-reinforced plates across four strengthened beams and three control beams. The application of UHPFRC plates considerably increased maximum load-carrying capacity, structural ductility, and mid-span reinforcement strain compared to unstrengthened beams failing in shear. Furthermore, incorporating steel connectors within the plate reinforcement successfully prevented debonding failure. A companion three-dimensional finite element model, which accounted for slippage along the adhesive layer using a cohesive surface model, closely matched experimental observations and accurately predicted overall beam behaviour.
Concrete structures such as bridges and buildings often require repair or upgrading to carry heavier loads safely. Using prefabricated high-performance concrete plates attached with epoxy provides a practical method to reinforce existing beams against shear failure. This approach enhances load capacity and ductility while preventing premature detachment, offering engineers a reliable, computationally validated option for structural retrofitting.
This technology is targeted at structural repair and retrofitting applications for reinforced concrete infrastructure. The primary users would be civil engineering contractors, structural consultants, and infrastructure maintenance authorities. The research is applied and tested at laboratory scale alongside numerical validation, showing practical potential for on-site application using prefabricated components, but the abstract does not indicate field-scale or commercial deployment trials.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
This paper presents the efficiency of using prefabricated ultra‐high performance fiber reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) plates in shear strengthening of reinforced concrete (RC) beams experimentally and numerically using finite element method. In order to ensure high quality and facilitate the strengthening process on site applications, it has been considered to apply UHPFRC as a plate pasted on concrete surface using epoxy. Tested specimens included four strengthened beams besides three control beams. Strengthening the RC beams was based on the use of two different techniques; (a) one longitudinal side strengthening (b) two longitudinal sides strengthening. Moreover, strengthening RC beams with reinforced or non‐reinforced prefabricated UHPFRC plates was also investigated. Results show that UHPFRC plates significantly increased the maximum load capacity, ductility and mid span reinforcement strain of the strengthened RC beams comparing with reference beam failed in shear. Also, steel connectors used in reinforcement of UHPFRC plates prevented debonding failure mode. A three‐dimensional (3D) finite element model (FEM) of the tested beams was also developed to predict the behavior of these specimens strengthened in shear. The adhesive layer was simulated using cohesive surface model to consider the slippage between concrete surface and UHPFRC plates. Results of the FEM showed good agreement with experimental results, as they were able to predict the behavior of the beams with high accuracy.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.1002/suco.201800137
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
