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Shear strengthening of reinforced concrete T‐beams with fully or partially bonded fibre‐reinforced polymer composites

A series of 10 reinforced concrete T‐beams, designed deficient in shear, were tested in order to investigate the shear performance achieved through externally applied U‐shaped FRP composite strips. Key variables of the study were: type of FRP composite, type of surface bonding and type of end anchorage for the strips. Carbon fibre‐reinforced polymer (CFRP), glass fibre‐reinforced polymer (GFRP) and high modulus of elasticity carbon fibre‐reinforced polymer (Hi‐CFRP) strips were the special composite types with different elastic moduli, full or partial bonding of the strips to the beam surface were the variables for the type of surface bonding. All partially bonded FRP strips were free from surface bonding, whereas epoxy‐bonded FRP anchors were used at their ends close to the slab‐to‐beam connection. Those strips with full surface bonding have either epoxy‐bonded FRP anchors at their ends or the strip ends were without anchorage. The test results revealed that shear‐deficient beams may well be strengthened by the externally applied FRP strips. However, the level of strength enhancement and the failure pattern is closely influenced by the composite's elastic modulus, the type of surface bonding and the type of end anchorage for the FRP strip itself. The enhancement of the Hi‐CFRP strips did not live up to expectations. The use of unbonded FRP for shear strengthening yielded promising results.