Bending performance of TRC-strengthened RC beams with secondary load under chloride erosion

Textile reinforced concrete (TRC) has good bearing capacity, crack resistance and corrosion resistance and it is suitable for repairing and reinforcing concrete structures in harsh marine environments. The four-point bending method was used to analyze the influence of the salt concentration, the damage degree and the coupled effect of the environment and load on the bending performance of TRC-strengthened beams with a secondary load. The results showed that as the salt concentration increased, the crack width and mid-span deflection of the beam quickly increased, and its bearing capacity decreased. As the damage degree increased, the early-stage crack development and mid-span deflection of the beam were less affected and the ultimate bearing capacity significantly decreased. In addition, the coupled effect of the environment and load on the beams with a secondary load was significant. As the sustained load increased, the ultimate bearing capacity of the strengthened beam decreased, and cracks developed faster in the later stage. In addition, the mid-span deflection of the beam decreased at the same load level because of the influence of the initial deflection due to the sustained load corrosion.