Shear Strengthening of T-Section RC Beams Using DoubleSide Externally Bonded CFRP

This paper aims at investigating the effect of S-wrap EB-CFRP to shear-strengthen RC T-beams. The experimental program included seven 3.3m-span T-beams that were tested under three-point loading. The specimens were divided into two major groups, including four specimens with no steel stirrups (Group 1), and three specimens with steel stirrups at half of the effective depth (d/2) center to center spacing (Group 2). Five of the seven specimens were strengthened in shear using S-wrap EB-CFRP strips used at d/4 and d/2 spacings. The shear capacity, maximum deflection under the applied load, failure mode, and the strain development in the CFRP strips, steel stirrups, and the main tensile reinforcement were reported in this paper. The overall results show that the addition of EB-CFRP strips to T-beams is an effective method of enhancing the shear capacity of T-Beam in the absence of steel stirrups. With the presence of steel stirrups in the T-beams, the contribution of the EB-CFRP strips in enhancing the beams' shear capacity appears to be small relative to that of steel stirrups.