Corrosion in steel bars is considered a big problem because corrosion is mainly responsible of decrease virtual age of structures and many risks indicated by deterioration. In addition, corrosion increases the cost of maintenance, particularly structures exposed to harsh environmental condition. FRP bars (Fiber Reinforced Polymer) became an alternative material from traditional steel bars. FRP had properties made it used in civil engineering sectors which are lightweight, non-corrosive, non-conductive made it a preferred alternative from steel bars in aggressive environments. FRP bars don’t have yield made it con not bind outside its linear behavior to make ties, because of the brittle behavior of FRP bars up to failure. So that, the new innovative manner by using CFRP sheets stirrups immerged by sikadur330 for produce beams can resist the harsh condition and purely reinforced with FRP in a new manner can provide stirrups in full different sizes and with lower cost. Twelve beams reinforced with GFRP bars in three different ratios of tension reinforcement (four beams for each ratio). Three control beams with steel stirrups: two beams were designed to fail in shear. Whilst, the residual nine beams with shear reinforcement made from CFRP sheets strips, immerged by sikadur330. The main variable were studied is the change in type and amount of secondary reinforcement and change in amount of primary reinforcement. The test was conduct under four point loading and in simply supported conditions. The result of tested beams illustrated that, beams had a higher percentage of tension reinforcement and shear reinforcement displayed an increasing in ultimate load about 38.1% from related control beam. While, an equivalent amount of shear reinforcement displayed an increasing in carrying load capacity up to 10%. In maximum ratio of CFRP sheets immerged by sikadur330 stirrups convert failure mode from shear to flexural indicated by crushing in cover of concrete. In addition, increased energy absorption, changed cracks orientation, increased energy absorption, decrease principal strain and increased concrete tensile.
The use of externally bonded composite materials such as carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) sheets is a modern and convenient way for strengthening and repairing reinforced concrete (RC) beams. This study presents experimental investigations on the flexural behavior of reinforced concrete beams strengthened by unsymmetrical CFRP sheets with various configurations. Effects of number of which strengthened faces of strengthening and fiber direction on the flexural strength of RC beams are examined. Six RC beams with dimensions of 100 mm * 220 mm were casted and tested under two points loading. One beam considered as a reference (unstrengthened) beam. Five residual beams were strengthened using CFRP sheets with various configurations. From the results, it was observed that all strengthened beams showed higher ultimate load capacity than that of the control beam. On the other hand, it was found that a progressive reduction in flexural ductility and toughness of beams with strengthening in one face and two faces with horizontal fiber direction. The highest decrease in flexural ductility and toughness for strengthened beams with horizontal fiber direction in comparison to control beam were 63% and 54%, respectively. On the contrary, the flexural ductility and toughness of strengthened beams increased with strengthening by vertical fiber direction. Additionally, the maximum percentage of increase in flexural ductility and toughness were 41% and 54%, respectively in comparison with control beam.
Composite beams, made up of a concrete slab and steel in the IPE steel section, are commonly used in bridges and buildings. Their main function is to enhance structural efficiency by merging the compressive strength of concrete with the tensile resistance of steel, thereby improving overall stiffness, ductility, and load-bearing capacity. This study offers an extensive review of the flexural behavior of steel-concrete composite beams, focusing on the interplay of concrete strength, shear connector types, and interaction levels in determining structural performance. It integrates experimental and numerical research to analyze critical parameters, including load-deflection behavior, shear transfer efficiency, and crack propagation at the steel-concrete interface. The study emphasizes the effect of concrete compressive strength, particularly in ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) and lightweight concrete, on stiffness, ductility, and load-bearing capacity while reducing self-weight and enhancing sustainability. The study revealed that fully bonded shear connectors, using CFRP sheets and welded plates, enhance flexural capacity and stiffness. In contrast, partial bonding or pre-debonding reduces performance due to crack propagation. Indented and hot-rolled U-section connectors enhance interaction and minimize slip, while uniform distribution of shear connectors optimizes load capacity and stiffness. Lightweight concrete decreases slab weight without compromising performance, and high-performance materials such as ECC, SFRC, and UHPFRC improve strength and ductility. Numerical modeling, particularly finite element methods, and higher-order beam theories validate experimental results, providing accurate tools for predicting structural behavior under various loading and environmental conditions.
Brick as a construction material can be considered one of the most common materials used for a very long time to construct buildings in iraq. The historic building represents one of the most important figures representing the rich history of iraq, which is built with bricks. Due to the aging of this type of building, a necessary improvement and retrofit need to occur. The paper investigates the ability to use different kinds of materials such as cfrp and srg to enhance the brick columns' structural capacity. From the results and discussions, it can be concluded that these materials are suitable to be used for this purpose with some limitations due to brick capacity itself.