Effects of surface roughness and bond enhancing techniques on flexural performance of CFRP/concrete composites

Abstract

This paper reports a detailed test programme conducted on enhancing the flexural performance of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) strengthened reinforced concrete beams to ensure prolonged composite action between CFRP laminate and concrete. The effects of surface preparation and alternative bonding techniques on the composite performance were investigated. In this regards, a total of 28 small-scale CFRP strengthened and non-strengthened reinforced concrete beams were tested using the three-point bending test method. This study clearly shows the importance of surface preparation and level of roughness on bond performance of CFRP/Concrete composites. The results also indicate the better performance in CFRP/epoxy/Polyester mesh hybrid arrangement when compare with CFRP strengthened concrete beams.