ABSTRACT
The use of FRP materials for repairing infrastructure damaged by overloading is very recent. Several experimental studies have focused on the use of CFRP sheet for the repair of load-damaged RC beams (Arduini et al. 1997; Bonacci et al. 2000; Shahawy et al. 2001; Yeong-soo et al. 2003). A few studies were focused on the strengthening of preloaded structural members (Arduini et al. 1997; Norris et al. 1997; Sharif et al. 1994; Shin et al. 2003). No codes and standards have consistently taken the influence of preload levels or sustained loads into account, because there is not enough experimental data for investigating the influence of the preload level on flexural performance.
