A review on performance of near-surface mounted-carbon fiber-reinforced polymer laminates bonded into slits

The near-surface mounted (NSM) technique over the years has become the most popular retrofitting technique for obtaining enhanced strength and durability in reinforced concrete structural elements. It is mostly preferred for its easy application of composites in grooves cut on specimen concrete cover. The specimen surface is prepared with slits where polymer composite laminates are placed along with adhesives as filler to attain good bonding between laminates and the surface. The paper reviews the NSM carbon fiber reinforced polymer technique and its ascendancies over externally bonded composites retrofitting approach. Members strengthened with the NSM technique show enhanced shear strength, flexural capacity, and fatigue resistance. Motivated by the urge of gaining knowledge on various advantages of this emerging method, the paper reviews the load-carrying capacity, failure modes, durability, and bonding behavior along with the enhancement ascertained in shear, flexure, and fatigue resistance by the NSM technique. In addition to offering guidance on the experimental and computational investigations on the overall behavior of the technique, the present review also intends to encourage further development in the near-surface mounted carbon fiber polymer strengthening system of retrofit.