An Experimental Study on Repairing of Reinforced Concrete Beams Having Damaged Longitudinal Bars

Abstract

The objective of this study was to systematically evaluate the effects of different repair methods to determine optimal strategies for enhancing the load-carrying capacity of damaged reinforced concrete beams. During construction or rehabilitation, some openings may be created in structural members for various reasons, either intentionally or accidentally. While creating these gaps, damage may occur to the lower reinforcement of the beam. Within the scope of this paper, the effects of these openings were studied, and the different techniques to be used in the repair of damaged reinforced concrete beams were investigated. This study discusses an experimental analysis of ten beams under bending loads. An opening gap was formed at the lower mid-span of all beams except the reference beam, with the main reinforcement in these openings being cut. The damaged beams were then repaired with various techniques, including fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) sheets and different reinforcement bars. The experiments of all beams were carried out by applying the four-point bending test model. The results showed that all repaired beams had significant enhancements in behavior and load, stiffness, ductility, and energy consumption capacities compared to the damaged beam.