Application of (GFRP) Polymer Composites in Shear and Flexural Strengthening of Concrete Beams

Maintaining and restoring buildings has nowadays gained special importance due to its high cost.Various different methods have been presented regarding this matter due to the above- mentionedreason and also the ever- growing demand of the engineers and the building- industry specialists forstrengthening, restoring, and improving the concrete structures. FRP is easily and quickly executed, itis light, its sheets have high tensile strength, it is resistant to corrosion, it absorbs vibration, and itmakes the structure resistant especially against dynamic loads, these are amongst the benefits of thesematerials.The effect of FRP sheets on shear and flexural strengthening of simple concrete beams has beenexamined in this research. 4 concrete beams containing concrete were constructed with a similar crosssection and length and a common resistance level. They underwent the two- point flexural test and theirexploitation conditions were studied.Among the 4 above- mentioned samples, one sample was constructed without FRP and was used asthe control sample, two samples were constructed with one FRP layer underneath the beam for flexuralstrengthening, and one sample was built with two FRP layers on both sides for shear strengthening.The first flexural sample broke almost like the sample which was built without the FRP coating sincethe FRP bond was weak. However, the second flexural sample enjoyed a good bond and underwentshear failure, the third sample which was strengthened regarding its shear resistance experienced aflexural failure.

Keywords:

Concrete , Concrete Beams , Flexure , Shear , FRP , Strengthening , Failure Mode