FRP-strengthened reinforced concrete beams: a review and the assessment of cracking and deflection models

A review of some cracking and deflection models used for a structural analysis of FRP-strengthened reinforced concrete beams is presented, and, with reference to short-term deflections, a comparison between model predictions and experimental results is made. By using predictions provided by a nonlinear model derived from a cracking analysis, founded on slip and bond stresses, and experimental results for 63 FRP-strengthened beams, a modification of the well-known semi-empirical Branson’s formula to compute beam deflections is proposed. Finally, the efficiency of the modification is evaluated by comparison with experimental results.