Novel side hybrid (SH) technique for flexural strengthening of RC beams using CFRP incorporating end anchorage system

In this paper, the experimental investigation into the flexural strengthening of reinforced concrete (RC) beam specimens applying a novel side hybrid (SH) technique that encompasses carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) bars and plates with or without end anchorage systems is presented. This SH strengthening technique was an incorporation of the Side Near Surface Mounted (SNSM) and Side Externally Bonded Reinforcement (S-EBR) approaches. A total of nine rectangular RC beam specimens were manufactured and exposed to flexural assessment. Among them, one specimen was used as the unstrengthened reference specimen, four specimens were strengthened exercising the SH technique using CFRP reinforcements without an end-anchorage system, and the remaining four specimens were strengthened exploiting the SH scheme by engaging CFRP reinforcements with an end-anchorage system. The constraints under investigation comprised the bonding length for CFRP reinforcements and the anchorage system at the ends for strengthening. The experimental outcomes exhibited that the SH technique with CFRP reinforcements extensively boosted the flexural responses of the structural components. Moreover, combining CFRP fabrics as an end-anchorage system along with the SH technique for strengthening reinforcements for RC specimens further intensified the flexural strength of the specimens. Also, the SH strengthening technique remarkably enriched the stiffness and had a substantial proficiency in energy absorption capability improvement of the RC beam specimens. The SH-CFRP technique for strengthening of RC beam specimens with the end-anchorage system exhibited excellent bonding performance, with no debonding observed before reaching full flexural strength, ensuring the ductile failure of the RC beam specimens.