Experimental and numerical investigation on RC beams with web openings subjected to pure torsion strengthened by ferrocement technique or GFRP sheets

Abstract

The main objective of the current experimental and numerical study is to investigate the effect of strengthening by ferrocement layers on the behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) beams with openings subjected to pure torsion and compare it with the beams that were strengthened by Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP). The experimental investigation consists of twelve reinforced concrete (RC) beams that have been divided into four groups. The parameters under investigation included the strengthening technique (ferrocement or External Bonded Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer EB-GFRP), type of steel mesh (welded wire mesh and expanded metal mesh), number of layers of mesh (1, 2, 3), extension length outside opening (50, 100 or 200) mm, strengthening configuration (full or U-shape) wrapping, and the anchoring system effect. The experimental work consists of one solid beam and eleven beams with openings. The tested beams yielded results such as cracking and ultimate torques, angle of rotation, and mechanism of failure. Creating an opening in the control solid beam resulted in a 38.46 % decrease in ultimate torque, while using different techniques during this research proved efficiency in the strengthening process. Using GFRP U-wrapping and fully wrapping to strengthen the area around the beam's opening increased the ultimate torque by 50 % and 81.25 %, respectively, compared to the un-strengthened beam with an opening. Adding fully wrapped ferrocement layers to the beam with an opening greatly improved its torsional strength. The ultimate torque increased by 40.63 % to 81.25 % compared to the beam with an unreinforced opening. Increasing the number of welded steel mesh layers from 1 to 3 in the ferrocement strengthening technique led to an increase in ultimate torque from 40.63 % to 75 % compared with the un-strengthened beam with the opening. The tests showed that using expanded metal mesh instead of welded wire mesh in strengthened beams with holes led to a 9.43 % higher ultimate torsional capacity, indicating that the expanded metal mesh worked better than the welded wire mesh. Using the U-shape ferrocement wrapping with anchors was better than without anchors, resulting in a 9.1 % increase in the ultimate torsional capacity. Applying a fully wrapped GFRP sheet or expanded metal mesh ferrocement strengthening achieved the highest ultimate torque, 81.25 % more than the un-strengthened beam with an opening. Moreover, a 3D non-linear finite element analysis is conducted using ABAQUS software to forecast the torsional properties of beams strengthened by either ferrocement or EB-GFRP. The numerical model captured the failure patterns, twisting angle, and ultimate load of tested beams. The experimental and analytical results were in good agreement. The research concluded the effectiveness of using the ferrocement reinforced with different steel mesh types in strengthening reinforced concrete beams with openings under pure torsion, the cost-efficiency and simplicity of ferrocement as a solution compared to its results with EB-GFRP techniques.