Investigation on the flexural capacity and ductility of foamed ceramic plates reinforced with CFRP

Foamed ceramics are closed-cell materials characterized by high porosity, low thermal conductivity, and environmental sustainability. However, they are prone to brittle fracture, an issue that remains unresolved despite various innovative preparation methods, which makes them difficult to use in building components. To address this challenge, this study investigates a foamed ceramic system reinforced with carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP). Full-scale tests were conducted to evaluate the effects of different reinforcement methods and CFRP strip widths. Analysis of failure modes, cracking behavior, and deflection deformation contributed to the development of a uniaxial stress-strain intrinsic model for numerical simulation. The results indicated that appropriate reinforcement methods can increase the cracking and ultimate load from approximately 5 to 9 kN/m² to 10–24 kN/m². The improved flexural capacity and ductility suggest that foamed ceramics have potential applications in the design of filled exterior walls and slabs. To facilitate engineering practice, theoretical calculations of critical bonding widths and enhanced flexural bearing capacity for CFRP reinforcement were derived, based on the equivalent rectangular stress pattern approach. This study provides essential design specifications for achieving significant enhancements, thereby laying the foundation for practical engineering applications.