Shear Strengthening of RC Beams by Prefabricated UHPFRC Panels

In this study, applicability of ultra-high performance fiber-reinforced concrete panels in shear strengthening of RC beams was investigated experimentally and numerically. In total, eight RC beams (dimensions 10×20×150 cm) with two different bending capacity and lack of shear strength were produced. Of these, four were control beams and four were strengthened with prefabricated UHPFRC panels (dimensions 3×15×126 cm) and were tested in 3-points bending. The results show that this method can be well used for strengthening of RC beams. In this regard, a 3D model using ABAQUS FEM software was used to investigate the strengthening method. For this purpose, numerical models were developed to define flexural behavior of UHPFRC and coupling between NC and UHPFRC. FEM analysis approved the efficiency of the method also.