Shear strengthening of RC beams using innovative manually made NSM FRP bars

Abstract

This study evaluates the effectiveness of a Near Surface Mounted (NSM) technique using innovative manually made FRP rods (MMFRPs) for shear strengthening of RC beams. To delay the onset of MMFRP rod debonding, a new anchorage is also developed and tested. This paper reports the results of a series of tests on simply supported rectangular RC beams, strengthened in shear with MMFRP rods with or without the proposed anchors. The load–deflection response of all test beams is presented, in addition to selected strain measurements. Performance and the failure modes of the test beams are studied and discussed. The proposed MMFRP rods and end anchorage enhanced the shear capacity of the beams between 25% and 48% over the control specimen. Furthermore, the proposed end anchorage of MMFRP rods significantly enhanced the ductility of the test specimens.