Numerical Simulation and Experimental Testing of Concrete Beams Strengthened in Shear with Fabric-Reinforced Cementitious Matrix

This paper presents results of finite element (FE) modeling and experimental testing of reinforced concrete beams strengthened in shear with fabric-reinforced cementitious matrix (FRCM). The studied parameters included the number of FRCM layers (one and two layers), matrix type (mortar and epoxy), and amount of internal stirrups (no stirrups and stirrups with spacings of 0.6d and 0.3d, where d is the depth of the tensile steel). Test results showed that the shear-strength gain after strengthening was in the range of 51-145%. The shear-strength gain decreased with an increase in the amount of internal stirrups. Doubling the number of FRCM layers resulted in a nonproportional increase in the shear strength. The use of epoxy adhesive rather than a cementitious mortar as a matrix insignificantly increased the shear-strength gain. The effect of increasing the amount of FRCM or varying the matrix type on the shear strength was less pronounced for the specimens with internal stirrups. The FE models developed in this study were capable of predicting the nonlinear shear response of the tested specimens. A comparison between predicted and experimental results confirmed the accuracy and validity of the developed FE models. (C) 2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.