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Innovative Approaches to RC Deep Beam Strengthening: Evaluating Low-Cost Glass Fiber Wraps Against Traditional CFRP
Panumas Saingam1, Ali Ejaz2, Chaitanya Krishna Gadagamma3
1Department of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok 10520, Thailand.
Polymers
|April 28, 2025
Summary
Low-cost glass fiber-reinforced polymer composite (Lo-G) wraps enhance lightweight aggregate deep beams, showing significant capacity increases and improved energy dissipation compared to carbon FRPs. Epoxy anchors are superior to mechanical ones, preventing debonding and improving overall beam performance.
Area of Science:
- Civil Engineering
- Materials Science
- Structural Engineering
Background:
- Lightweight aggregate concrete beams often require strengthening to meet performance demands.
- Expensive synthetic fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) are commonly used, necessitating cost-effective alternatives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the performance of low-cost glass fiber-reinforced polymer composite (Lo-G) wraps as a strengthening material for lightweight aggregate deep beams.
- To compare the effectiveness of Lo-G wraps in different configurations (side-bonded and fully wrapped) against carbon FRP (CFRP) strips.
- To assess the influence of anchor types (epoxy vs. mechanical) on beam performance and debonding resistance.
Main Methods:
- Experimental investigation of deep beams strengthened with Lo-G wraps and CFRP strips.
- Testing of side-bonded and fully wrapped configurations.
- Utilizing epoxy-based and mechanical anchors for specimen preparation.
- Comparative analysis of peak capacity, ultimate deflection, and dissipated energy.
Main Results:
- Lo-G wraps significantly increased peak capacity (10.5%–46.9%) and dissipated energy (up to 322.3%) compared to unstrengthened beams.
- Epoxy anchors demonstrated superior debonding resistance over mechanical anchors.
- Side-bonded Lo-G configurations with epoxy wraps outperformed fully wrapped CFRP strips in peak capacity.
- Lo-G wraps exhibited higher peak capacity (8.5%) and dissipated energy (32.8%) than CFRP strips.
Conclusions:
- Lo-G wraps present a cost-effective alternative for strengthening lightweight aggregate deep beams, offering comparable or superior performance to CFRP strips.
- Epoxy anchors are crucial for preventing premature debonding and maximizing the benefits of FRP strengthening.
- Existing shear strength models are inadequate for predicting the performance of Lo-G wraps, highlighting the need for new predictive models.
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