Strengthening and Repair of Reinforced Concrete Beams Using External Steel Plates

The study presents the results of an experimental program aimed at investigating the flexural behavior of externally plated RC beams. A total of 13 full-scale rectangular RC beams were tested. The effects on the behavior of the plate thickness, the anchorage of the plate to the beam through anchor bolts or side plates (collars), and the use of perforated plates instead of solid ones were investigated. The experiments indicated that the beam ductility increases as the plate thickness decreases, and the anchorage of the plate to the beam through bolts or collars proves to be an efficient method for preventing the premature plate peeling failure and achieving sufficient ductility in beams strengthened with thick solid plates. Anchor bolts had adverse effects on the ductilities of the beams with thin plates, and the use of perforated steel plates was found to be an efficient method for increasing the ductility of a strengthened beam. The beams repaired with perforated plates anchored to the beam with collars had load-carrying capacities close to those of the undamaged beams. (C) 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.