Structural Performance of RC Beams Poststrengthened with Carbon, Aramid, and Glass FRP Systems

The use of fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) to poststrengthen concrete structures started to be investigated in the mid-1970s and today is widely recognized as an attractive technique to be used in civil structures, especially when aggressive environments prevent the use of materials that are susceptible to corrosion, such as steel. Different FRP poststrengthening techniques have been developed and applied in existing structures, aiming to increase their load capacity. Most FRP systems used nowadays consist of carbon fibers embedded in epoxy matrix. Regardless of the advantages and the good results achieved using carbon fiber-reinforced polymers, some new possibilities, such as the use of prestressing and lower cost fiber materials, are being analyzed in an attempt to provide viable alternatives for a more efficient, safe, and rational use of FRP systems. The main purpose of the present work was to make a comparative analysis of the behavior of reinforced concrete beams poststrengthened with carbon, aramid, and glass FRP subjected to static loading tests. Experimental results were evaluated against theoretical ones obtained through an analytical model that considers a trilinear behavior for the load versus displacement curves. The experimental results indicate that all FRP systems applied have appropriate structural performance for use in poststrengthening applications of RC. The choice of the more suitable system would, therefore, be strongly influenced by circumstances regarding cost limitations and level of reinforcement required.