FLEXURAL PERFORMANCE OF RC BEAMS WITH NEAR SURFACE MOUNTED CFRP PLATE

This study investigates the flexural performance of RC beams strengthened with Near Surface Mounted CFRP plate. In construction, deterioration tends to occur due to changes in loading capacity, improper design, or poor quality of workmanship. This will result in long-term effects as the strength decreases over time. To prepare for the long-term effects, the Near Surface Mounted (NSM) method can be used to strengthen the RC members. This is to ensure that a structure can continuously function for its intended purpose. Three beams of 125 mm x 300 mm x 1800 mm (width; height; length) were constructed for this study. The first beam was not strengthened, the second beam was strengthened with a CFRP plate horizontally positioned on the tension zone, and the third beam was strengthened with a CFRP plate vertically positioned on the tension zone. All three beams were then tested under a four point bending test. Results show that the beam with horizontal strengthening was able to increase the flexural strength of about 22% compared to the control beam, while the beam with vertical strengthening was able to increase the flexural capacity of about 43% compared to the control beam. This indicates that the NSM method can be used to significantly increase the flexural strength of RC members.