Influence of Groove Size on the Flexural Strengthening of RC Beams using SNSM Technique

Abstract

Reinforced concrete (RC) structures need to be strengthened or retrofitted because of material deterioration or to regain the strength lost by structural components due to mishaps or catastrophic events like earthquakes etc. Various methods of strengthening, include externally bonded (EB) and near surface mounting (NSM) are utilized in literature to strengthen RC structures. But, a major drawback of the above-mentioned techniques is that they increase the strength at the cost of ductility. A new approach that has come up is the side near surface mounted (SNSM) which exhibited improvement in strength and its ductility is better than the other techniques. In this study, an effort is being made to strengthen RC beams by carrying out numerical simulation in ABAQUS by SNSM technique and to study the effects of varying groove sizes while keeping constant diameter of the FRP bar. A perfect bond model is used to analyze the behavior of the interfaces between epoxy and concrete as well as FRP and epoxy. Results from the present study are validated against those found in the literature and the optimum groove size is calculated by using the present numerical model