Effect of carbon fibre-reinforced polymers on structural behaviour of hollow-core slabs Available to Purchase

This paper presents an experimental study on the effect of carbon fibre-reinforced polymers (CFRP) on the flexural and shear capacity of precast, prestressed, hollow-core slabs. The average cubic compressive strength of the concrete used for casting the hollow-core slab is 45 MPa. Depending upon testing type and CFRP pattern, slab specimens are divided into eight groups, including two groups comprising non-strengthened/control slabs. The remaining six groups comprise CFRP strengthened slabs with six different patterns, three for flexural testing and another three for shear testing. The effects of CFRP strengthening on flexural and shear strength are studied and compared to the control slabs. The effects of CFRP strips on crack pattern, failure behaviour, deflection and energy dissipation of hollow-core slab units are also discussed. It is concluded that CFRP can enhance the flexural and shear capacity of hollow-core units by up to 40%. Similarly, energy dissipation is found to be increased for CFRP strengthened slabs with relatively fewer cracks and smaller deflection as compared with their counterparts.