Flexural strengthening of reinforced concrete T-beams using a composite of prestressed steel wire ropes embedded in polyurethane cement (PSWR-PUC): Theoretical analysis

A composite of prestressed steel wire ropes embedded in polyurethane cement (PSWR-PUC) is a new and efficient strengthening method. This paper mainly studies theoretical analysis of reinforced concrete (RC) T-beams strengthened with PSWR-PUC. First, the mechanical properties of the polyurethane cement (PUC) such as ulti-mate flexural strength and ultimate compressive strength were studied experimentally. Second, the calculation methods of cracking load and maximum bearing capacity were proposed. Third, degree of prestress, ratio of reinforcement and thickness of PUC responsible for the short-term cross-sectional stiffness were analyzed. Finally, calculation equations for predicting average crack spacing and maximum crack width were suggested. The results from using the proposed methods agree well with the experimental ones. Theoretical analysis and proposed calculation equations are feasible.