FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF SHEAR BEHAVIOR OF RC BEAMS STRENGTHENED WITH U-SHAPED FRP SHEETS

The utilization of FRP in shear strengthening for reinforced concrete beams is an effective way in upgrading the low loading capacity of the beams. Based on the test data of seven beams, this paper presents analysis of FRP strengthened RC beams using 3-D finite element model which is implemented in ANSYS. The effects of various parameters on numerical results are discussed. The bond strength between FRP and concrete, shear retention coefficients for cracks are determined. The results are in good agreement with the experimental results. To gain a better understanding of the role that FRP plays in the RC beam shear strengthing, further investigation is conducted in regard to the distribution of strain in FRP under each load level, the FRP's contribution to the overall shear strength, the peeling-off process of FRP from the concrete's surface and the relationship between the efficiency and the amount of FRP used in the shear strengthing.