Experimental programme and analytical study of bond stress distributions on a composite plate bonded to a reinforced concrete beam

An experimental investigation of the bond stress along the concrete-epoxy-plate interface is presented. The main variables were the plate end cut-off and the different corrosion ratios induced to the lower reinforcement of the beams. This was supported with a parametric study for several variables based on a simplified model. The results showed that the plate breadth to thickness ratio, (b_pl/t_pl), was a very significant factor, which affects the bond stress concentration at the plate end. It was also found that the plat end cut-off may affect the bond stress concentration. However, more investigation is still needed to address this issue.