Behavioral study of reinforced concrete slab strengthened with externally bonded fibre reinforced polymer laminates using finite element method

Abstract

The present work is a study on the behavior of reinforced concrete slab strengthened with Externally Bonded Fibre Reinforced Polymer (EBFRP) following nonlinear finite element approach using ANSYS software. Nonlinear material properties of concrete, steel and FRP made of glass Fibre are incorporated in the finite element model. Simply supported slabs are analyzed under monotonically increasing uniformly distributed external mechanical load till its failure. The load displacement response of strengthened slab models are plotted and compared with the same for un-strengthened slab to assess the extents of enhancements in the ultimate load carrying capacity and stiffness of the slabs due to the attachment of FRP laminates with the concrete surface in different mode of arrangement. The load displacement response and the cracking profile of individual models are also compared among themselves to find the most efficient way of strengthening of RC slab with FRP laminates. Further the percentage increase in the load carrying capacity due to attachment of FRP have been plotted against the proportion of surface area of slab and a numerical model in the form of an equation is suggested to predict the increase in the ultimate load carrying capacity based on the proportion of surface area of slab covered with FRP.