FLEXURAL PERFORMANCE OF RC BEAMS BONDED WITH UV-GFRPR SHEETS

Abstract

This study presents the flexural performance of reinforced concrete (RC) beams externally bonded with UV-curable glass fiber reinforced polyester resin (UV-GFRPR) sheets onto their soffit surface. UV-GFRPR sheets can be cured by UV irradiation. The UV-GFRPR sheets after hardening have about one-seventh of the yield strength of normal steel (SS400), which is lower than FRP sheets such as carbon, aramid, and glass fibers. However, the UV-GFRPR sheets are easily attached to the surfaces of substrates for repair and preventive maintenance and have excellent durability with impermeability of moisture and corrosion factors. The aims of this study are to assess the flexural performance and the strengthening effect of RC beams bonded with two and three laminated layers of the UV-GFRPR sheets in four-point bending tests. The test results showed that the ultimate load-carrying capacities of the specimens with two and three laminated layers were 1.13 and 1.37 times higher than that of the control beam. The RC beams with the UV-GFRPR sheets failed in bending due to rupture of the UV-GFRPR sheets. The load-carrying capacity and the flexural performance were also predicted using the cross-sectional analysis.