Modelling effective factors in strengthening RC beams from the construction management view

Strengthening reinforced concrete beams using fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) materials compared to other strengthening methods due to its low weight and easy transportation, high resistance with less manpower has been accepted as a common practice in most countries. Externally bonded reinforcement (EBR) and near surface mounting (NSM) reinforcement are common methods for FRP installation. In this research the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of these two methods are identified as the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) method from the perspective of construction management and then the structural equations modeling (SEM) method is used to investigate the relationship between each of these variables. Two separate models were used in the EBR and NSM methods that identify the relationship between strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats as hidden variables and then questionnaire questions related to each of these variables as explicit variables. Also, confirmatory factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha coefficient were used to assess the validity and reliability of the questionnaire, respectively. The results of this study showed that each of the EBR and NSM methods has different advantages and disadvantages and then management solutions were evaluated using SWOT technique and structural equation modeling.