ABSTRACT
Punching shear of concrete is brittle failure mode which can occur in flat slabs or bridge decks subjected to concentrated loading. Increasing the punching shear capacity slabs to avoid this failure mode can be achieved by installation of shear reinforcement. However, strengthening against punching shear failure usually requires post installed shear reinforcement in the form of shear bolts or FRP drilled though the slab thickness. This work aims to evaluate the use of L-shaped carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates in improving the punching shear capacity of bridge deck slabs. Four reinforced concrete (RC) slabs have been tested under concentrated loading. One slab was without shear reinforcements and acted as the reference control specimen, while three were strengthened using L-CFRP laminates as post installed shear reinforcement. The experimental results showed that the strengthening configuration implemented significantly improved the punching shear performance of the slabs. Further, the shear capacities of the tested slabs and the failure modes were compared with critical shear crack theory (CSCT).
