Shear Behavior of Full-Scale Reinforced Concrete Members Strengthened with Anchored Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Strips

The results of an investigation on full-scale reinforced concrete beams strengthened in shear with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) strips and CFRP anchors are presented. Observations of the behavior and data from the tests were used to evaluate the shear behavior and failure mechanisms of specimens strengthened with anchored CFRP strips. The anchor details used in this study significantly improved the shear performance of the strengthened specimens. CFRP anchors provided anchorage to the CFRP strips and prevented brittle and total failure when the CFRP strips debonded. The test results demonstrate that with CFRP anchors, anchored strips provide a reliable means of improving shear behavior, even in large specimens with significant transverse steel reinforcement that reaches yield before the CFRP strips reach their peak capacity. The test results reported herein expand the limited data available, especially at full scale for shear strengthening with anchored CFRP material.