ABSTRACT
Conventional reinforced concrete members consist of Portland cement concrete and steel reinforcement. In such beams, concrete resists compressive forces and steel reinforcing bars embedded in concrete — typically on the tension side — resist tensile and dowel (shear) forces. Such an arrangement is structurally efficient because of concrete’s inherent resistance to compression, whereas that of steel’s in tension and partially in shear. In some reinforced concrete members, steel reinforcement is also used to partially resist compression and enhance the flexural strength and stiffness of members with limited depth and even to limit crack widths. Recent advances in fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composite technologies have resulted in alternative reinforcing materials that can be used efficiently as supplemental, externally bonded reinforcement [Crasto et al. 1996; Dolan 1993; Machida 1993; Neale and Labossière 1997]. A class of such materials comprises fiber reinforced polymeric (FRP) materials, commercially available in the form of fabrics or sheets, that can be bonded to the outer surface of concrete members (hence the term, “external reinforcement”) to accomplish a number of desired objectives.
