Moment redistribution in continuous reinforced concrete beams strengthened with carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer laminates

The results of tests on continuous steel-fiber-reinforced concrete (RC) beams, with and without an external strengthening, are presented. The internal flexural steel reinforcement was designed so that to allow steel yielding before the collapse of the beams. To prevent the shear failure, steel stirrups were used. The tests also included two nonstrengthened control beams; the other specimens were strengthened with different configurations of externally bonded carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates. In order to prevent the premature failure from delamination of the CFRP strengthening, a wrapping was also applied. The experimental results obtained show that it is possible to achieve a sufficient degree of moment redistribution if the strengthening configuration is chosen properly, confirming the results provided by two simple numerical models. Russian translation published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 43, No. 5, pp. 667–686, September–October, 2007.