Effect of strengthening materials on the behavior of curved beams with openings

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of openings on the behavior of arched beams and the effectiveness of different strengthening materials in enhancing their performance. The study involves three stages. The first stage focuses on the effect of openings on the behavior of curved beams. The second stage examines the effect of different strengthening materials, including carbon fiber sheets, glass fiber sheets, and steel plates, on the deflection and failure load in the presence of openings. In the third stage, Finite Element models are used to simulate the tested beams with different strengthening materials, and the differences between beams with and without openings are analyzed. The results show that the presence of openings negatively affects the ultimate load, deflection, and ductility ratio of arched beams. Regarding strengthening, beams strengthened with steel plates demonstrate a higher ultimate load, approximately 5.6% and 21% higher than beams strengthened with carbon fiber and glass fiber sheets, respectively. Moreover, the deflection of beams strengthened with steel plates is 6.4% and 8.9% higher than beams strengthened with CFRP and GFRP. The presented work is introduced to offer a valuable solution to some developed systems for controlling, repairing, and supporting structures.