Structural Concrete, Vol. 11, no. 4, December 2010
Torsion strengthening of RC beams with carbon fibre composites
J. J. Holtz Silva Filho, PUC-Rio, Brazil
E. de Souza Sánchez Filho, Fluminense Federal University, Brazil
M. de Souza Lima Velasco, PUC-Rio, Brazil
This paper presents the results of an experimental and theoretical study designed to evaluate the behaviour of reinforced concrete beams subjected to torsion and strengthened with carbon fibre composites. A total of seven beams, each with the dimensions 200x400x4200 mm, were tested. Test results reveal marked increases in the torsion capacity of 38% and 40% for each series of beams. The effective axial stress of a theoretical model for bonding the carbon fibre composites is incorporated in the space truss with softening model. The predictions of this proposed model are then compared with tests results. A high degree of agreement is verified between the experimental and theoretical values.
