Shear Strengthening of RC Beams with EB FRP: Evolutive Model versus Code

Abstract

This paper deals with the shear strengthening of reinforced concrete (RC) beams using externally bonded (EB) fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP). The parameters that have the greatest influence on the shear behavior of RC members strengthened with EB FRP and the role of these parameters in current design codes are reviewed. The effect of transverse steel on the shear contribution of FRP was found significant and yet is not captured by any existing codes or guidelines. Therefore, a new design method is proposed, which considers the effect of transverse steel as well as to other influencing factors on the shear contribution of FRP (Vfrp). The accuracy of the proposed equations is verified by predicting the shear strength of experimentally tested RC beams using data collected from literature.