The application of a reinforced self-compacting concrete jacket for the structural rehabilitation of shear damaged reinforced concrete beams is experimentally investigated. Five beams were constructed and subjected to monotonic loading in order to exhibit shear failure. The damaged specimens were restored using relatively thin reinforced jackets and retested by the same four-point bending loading. The self-compacting concrete jacket applied, encasing the bottom width and both vertical sides of the initially tested beams (U-formed jacketing), has a small thickness (25 mm) and includes small (5) steel bars and U-formed stirrups. Test results and comparisons between the experimental behaviour of the beams indicated that the examined jacketing technique is a reliable rehabilitation method since the capacity of the retrofitted beams was fully restored or ameliorated with respect to the initial specimens. Discussion of the ability of the applied jacket to enhance the overall structural performance of the examined beams and, potentially, to alter their failure mode to a more ductile one is also included. Calculations of the flexural and shear strength of the tested beams and evaluation of the monolithic factors for the capacity at yield and at ultimate of the jacketed beams were also performed and are commented on.

This paper presents the findings of an experimental study on the application of a reinforced self-compacting concrete jacketing technique in damaged reinforced concrete beams. Test results of 12 specimens subjected to monotonic loading up to failure or under repeated loading steps prior to total failure are included. First, 6 beams were designed to be shear dominated, constructed by commonly used concrete, were initially tested, damaged, and failed in a brittle manner. Afterwards, the shear-damaged beams were retrofitted using a self-compacting concrete U-formed jacket that consisted of small diameter steel bars and U-formed stirrups in order to increase their shear resistance and potentially to alter their initially observed shear response to a more ductile one. The jacketed beams were retested under the same loading. Test results indicated that the application of reinforced self-compacting concrete jacketing in damaged reinforced concrete beams is a promising rehabilitation technique. All the jacketed beams showed enhanced overall structural response and 35% to 50% increased load bearing capacities. The ultimate shear load of the jacketed beams varied from 39.7 to 42.0 kN, whereas the capacity of the original beams was approximately 30% lower. Further, all the retrofitted specimens exhibited typical flexural response with high values of deflection ductility.

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