Strengthening of RC beams using basalt fiber reinforced polymer with ECC

Kavitha SM; Venkatesan G; Ashika  A

doi:10.62638/ZasMat1391

Authors

Kavitha Sethuraman Muthusamy Department of Civil Engineering, Alagappa Chettiar Government College of Engineering & Technology, Karaikudi, India Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9499-519X
Venkatesan Govindan Department of Civil Engineering, University college of Engineering Tiruchirappalli, Anna University, Tiruchirappalli, India Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5159-4265
Ashika Ayyappan Mohanadevi Department of Civil Engineering, Alagappa Chettiar Government College of Engineering & Technology, Karaikudi, India Author https://orcid.org/0009-0003-8158-9864

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62638/ZasMat1391

Abstract

The retrofitting of concrete structures has become highly prominent with the aging and deterioration of the infrastructure. In order to cast the beams, tailored cementitious composites were infused at various layers, such as 20 and 50 mm from the bottom of the reinforced concrete beam's strain zone. The control beam and the reinforced beams' flexural behavior were compared. Damaged ECC-layered beams were repaired by applying sheets of basalt fiber. When completely wrapped with Basalt Fiber Reinforced Polymer (BFRP) sheets, the concrete specimens' compressive strength rose by 14.98% and their tensile strength by 17.14%, while the crack breadth decreased in split tensile testing. The load-carrying capacity of RC beams was increased by 8.95% and 18.76% for 20 mm and 50 mm layers, respectively, by the addition of ECC. When damaged beams were retarded using BFRP, the flexural strength significantly improved, increasing the load-carrying capacity by 8.56% and the deflection by 17.4%. Based on the study's conclusions, future infrastructure maintenance practices need to be modified to be more resilient to the issues brought on by aging infrastructure and more sustainable.

Keywords:

ECC, Polyvinyl alcohol fibre, Basalt fibre, Strengthening

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