Abstract
Fabric-reinforced cementitious matrices (FRCMs) are a novel composite material for strengthening structures. Fabric contributes to tying cross-sections under tensile stress. The complexity of the interfaces between the fabric and the matrix does not allow having a simple and accurate model that enables practitioners to perform feasible calculations. This work developed an analytical approach and a numerical simulation based on the reduction of FRCMs’ strength capabilities under tensile stress states. The concept of effective strength was estimated for different types of fabrics (basalt, carbon, glass, poly p-phenylene benzobisoxazole (PBO), and steel) from experimental evidence. The proposed models calculate the ultimate bending moment for reinforced concrete (RC) structures strengthened with FRCMs. The numerical models performed simulations that reproduced the moment–deflection curves of the different tested beams. Steel fabric showed the highest contribution to strength (78%), while PBO performed the worst (6%). Basalt and carbon showed irregular contributions.
Highlights
Fabric-reinforced cementitious matrices (FRCMs) have been shown to be one of the most promising retrofitting techniques for reinforced concrete elements [1]
(0.0035) or steel tensile strain (0.09). This means that the FRCM failures occurred before the concrete crushing failure or the steel tensile failure were reached for the strengthened beams
For the case of PBOand glass-FRCM, the FRCMs significantly decreased the tensile contribution at the middle beam, meaning that the FRCMs reached their maximum stress before the whole structure reached the maximum reaction force
Summary
A new approach for a classical analytical method for estimating the ultimate bending moment of RC beams flexurally strengthened with FRCMs is proposed. The following analytical method predicts the flexural ultimate capacity of the strengthened RC beams for each specific strengthening system by reducing the tensile capacity of the FRCM materials using a reduction coefficient (β) applied to the ultimate tensile capacity of the fibers It approaches the problem from a simplification, reducing the complexity to a single effective fiber strength capacity limited by β. This parameter is determined for each type of strengthening fabric by means of the adjustment of the analytical predictions of the maximum flexural moment (Mmax,an ) with the experimental results (Mmax,exp ) of the database composed by the tests carried out by the authors and the evidence found in the literature review. The intention of this work was to provide a useful tool to help practitioners to estimate the complex performance from a feasible formulation
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