ACI STRUCTURAL JOURNAL TECHNICAL PAPER

Title no. 103-S17

Performance of Shallow Reinforced Concrete Beams with

Externally Bonded Steel-Reinforced Polymer
by Andrea Prota, Kah Yong Tan, Antonio Nanni, Marisa Pecce, and Gaetano Manfredi

The application of steel-reinforced polymer (SRP) composites in mechanics of materials using micromechanical models. The
structural strengthening is a new concept based on the use of high- transverse tensile modulus and Poisson’s ratio could also be
strength steel cord. This paper presents the results of an experi- estimated analytically, though with less accuracy. The trans-
mental program on the flexural behavior of reinforced concrete verse compressive modulus could not be accurately deter-
(RC) beams strengthened with SRP, including the performance of
mined from micromechanics.
epoxy resin versus cementitious grout to impregnate and bond SRP
to concrete, as well as the feasibility of nailing the SRP to prevent Experimental studies have been carried out on the use of
peeling. The use of cementitious grout is highly relevant as it could fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) systems for flexural
overcome the issue of fire resistance and further reduce the cost of strengthening (Fanning and Kelly 2001; Breña et al. 2003;
the strengthening system. Test results were compared to those from Shin and Lee 2003). No systematic testing has been
beams strengthened with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) conducted yet on concrete elements strengthened using SRP
under the same experimental program. This preliminary work laminates. To investigate the flexural behavior of reinforced
shows the high potential of SRP strengthening systems and identifies concrete (RC) beams strengthened with SRP composites,
some critical issues that should be investigated next in order to
two different types of steel tape with medium and high densities,
optimize the effectiveness of the proposed strengthening solution.
respectively, were used at University of Naples, Italy, to
Keywords: anchorage; epoxy; fibers; flexure; grout; polymer; steel;
strengthen seven RC beams using cementitious grout and
strength. epoxy resin and tested to failure under a quasi-static loading.
Arrays of nail anchors were used on two of these beams to
INTRODUCTION fasten the steel tape adhered with cementitious grout to
The steel cord of piano wire used as the reinforcement for prevent peeling. Two additional RC beams, strengthened
radial tires is among the strongest of industrial materials. It with a comparable amount of unidirectional carbon FRP
comprises twisted pearlite steel filaments that have been (CFRP) laminates, were tested and compared with those
strengthened by drawing to an ultra-fine diameter (0.20 to strengthened with SRP composites.
0.35 mm) and its strength is higher than alloyed steel. The
use of steel cord to upgrade steel, wood, or concrete members RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE
in both new construction and retrofit applications is an The research demonstrates the feasibility of strengthening
emerging concept in composite reinforcement. This reinforce- RC beams using externally bonded SRP and represents a
ment is varied between the highly twisted cords, for optimum first step toward the development of a novel strengthening
ductility, and slightly twisted cords, which are more open to material system for structural upgrade.
allow resin penetration, yet maintain cable-like properties
(Hardwire LLC 2002). The shape of the steel cord functions
EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM
the way the threads act on a screw, forming a mechanical
interlock to the matrix, resulting in short development lengths. A total of 11 RC shallow beams, 400 x 200 x 3700 mm in
The steel cords are coated with either zinc or brass and size, were cast. The stirrups were 8 mm-diameter steel bars
then aligned to form a steel tape that has very high strength spaced at 100 mm center-to-center. For all specimens, two
and stiffness and is economical to produce (Hardwire LLC 8 mm-diameter steel bars were used as compression reinforce-
2002). The density of the steel tape ranges from 1.6 to 9.0 ment. Five 18 mm-diameter bars were used as tensile reinforce-
cords per centimeter to meet the requirement of reinforce- ment for the reference beam (Beam U) (Table 1); for the
ment, viscosity of resin, and cosmetic application. No remaining ten, a deficiency in steel reinforcement area (due
special resin is required for wetting steel cord reinforcement, for example to a construction or design error, or to structural
as is required for glass and carbon fiber where fiber sizing deterioration) was simulated by using five 10 mm-diameter
plays a critical role. Once the steel tape is impregnated with steel bars as tensile reinforcement. Apart from a second
resin and turns into steel-reinforced polymer (SRP), it is well beam left as a control specimen (Beam D), the potential of
protected and it is expected to have satisfactory corrosion emerging strengthening techniques was assessed by
resistance (Tashito et al. 1999); however, this aspect requires upgrading the nine remaining beams using two different
more careful investigation. types of steel tape, namely 3X2 cord (Type A) and 12X cord
Huang et al. (2004) reported on a series of ASTM standard (Type B), and CFRP laminates (Type C) (Table 1).
tests of representative SRP specimens. The work included a
comparison between theoretical and experimental results. ACI Structural Journal, V. 103, No. 2, March-April 2006.
MS No. 03-320 received February 22, 2005, and reviewed under Institute publication
They found that the tensile and compressive moduli in the policies. Copyright © 2006, American Concrete Institute. All rights reserved, including
direction of the steel cord, the in-plane shear modulus, and the making of copies unless permission is obtained from the copyright proprietors. Pertinent
discussion including author’s closure, if any, will be published in the January-February
the tensile axial strength could be accurately predicted by 2007 ACI Structural Journal if the discussion is received by September 1, 2006.

ACI Structural Journal/March-April 2006 163

 TEST PROGRAM DESIGN
Andrea Prota is an assistant professor of structural engineering at the University of
Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy. He received his MS in civil engineering from the Design material properties
University of Missouri-Rolla, Rolla, Mo., and his PhD in structural engineering 1. For the traditional materials, the design properties were
from the University of Naples Federico II. His research interests include seismic
behavior of reinforced concrete and masonry structures, use of advanced materials assumed equal to 30 MPa for the concrete compressive
for new construction, and retrofit of reinforced concrete and masonry structures using strength and 500 MPa for the yield strength of the reinforcing
innovative techniques. steel bars.
Kah Yong Tan is a research engineer. He received his MS in civil engineering from 2. The carbon-fiber ply is a unidirectional fiber system
the University of Missouri-Rolla. His research interests include innovative materials for with a density of 300 g/m2. The equivalent fiber thickness is
strengthening of infrastructures and development of field protocols for the applications of
advanced strengthening techniques.
0.167 mm. According to the manufacturer, the ultimate
strength and modulus of elasticity related to fiber volume are
Antonio Nanni, FACI, is the V&M Jones Professor of Civil Engineering at the University 3450 MPa and 230 GPa, respectively (Mapei 2000). The
of Missouri-Rolla and is Professor of Structural Engineering at the University of
Naples Federico II. He is a member of the Concrete Research Council, Chair of ACI
epoxy used to impregnate the dry carbon fibers was a two-
Committee 437, Strength Evaluation of Existing Concrete Structures, and is a member component, medium-viscosity, gelatinous solvent-free
of ACI Committees 440, Fiber Reinforced Polymer Reinforcement; 544, Fiber Reinforced adhesive (Mapei 2000). Table 2 shows the technical data of
Concrete; and 549, Thin Reinforced Cementitious Products and Ferrocement; and Joint
ACI-ASCE-TMS Committee 530, Masonry Standards Joint Committee. His research the epoxy provided by the manufacturer.
interests include the performance of concrete-based structures. 3. For the steel cord strengthening material, a more
Marisa Pecce is a professor of structural engineering at the University of Sannio,
detailed discussion follows. The 3X2 steel cord (Hardwire
Benevento, Italy. She is Vice President of the ACI Italy Chapter. Her research interests 2002) is made by twisting five individual zinc-coated wires
include nonlinear and cyclic behavior of reinforced concrete elements, steel-concrete together—three straight filaments wrapped by two filaments
composite structures, steel-concrete bond, high-performance concrete, composite
materials for new structures, and retrofitting. at a high twist angle (Fig. 1). The density of the 3X2 tape
used in this research program consists of 8.7 cords per centi-
Gaetano Manfredi is a professor of structural engineering at the University of meter, which is considered high-density tape. The 12X steel
Naples Federico II. His research interests include seismic engineering and the use of
advanced composites in civil structures. cord (Hardwire 2002) is made by twisting two different indi-
vidual brass-coated wires together in 12 strands and then
All beams were tested as simply supported members, over over-twisting one wire around the bundle (Fig. 2). The ridge
a clear span of 3.40 m. They were loaded up to failure under provided by the wrap wire works to transfer load into the
matrix and tighten the cord during the tensile loading. The
a four-point configuration, with a constant moment region of
density of the 12X tape consisted of 6.3 cords per centimeter,
1.0 m across the midspan. The load was applied through a which is considered medium-density tape. Table 3 summa-
500 kN hydraulic actuator and the test was carried out under rizes the geometrical and mechanical properties (tensile
displacement control. strength ffu, ultimate rupture strain εfu, and tensile modulus
of elasticity Ef) of the steel cords. A typical stress-strain
curve of SRP tapes is depicted in Fig. 3, where it is shown
that this material behaves linearly to failure. Experimental
tests have shown that the nonlinear behavior is negligible
and there is practically no yielding of the steel. The stress-
strain relationship of Fig. 3 was used for design.
Fig. 1—3X2 cord. A high-performance, two-component, 100% solid epoxy
resin (Sika 2000) was used to impregnate and bond the steel
tape to the concrete substrate. The technical data of the
epoxy resin, supplied by the manufacturer, are shown in
Table 2. The cementitious grout (Sika 2000) used to bond the
steel tape was a two-component, polymer-modified, pore-
sealing mortar with the additional benefit of a penetrating
Fig. 2—12X cord. corrosion inhibitor. It has a finishing time of 45 to 60 minutes,

Table 1—Test matrix and summary of experimental results

Equivalent Experimental results
Specimen Tension External Impregnated No. of Axial stiffness reinforcement
type steel reinforcement matrix plies* ratio S ratio ρeq, % Futh , kN Fcr , kN δcr , mm Fy , kN δy , mm Fu , kN δu, mm
U 5Φ18 — — — — 1.87 136.1 13.6 1.7 141.4 35.7 147.6 57.1
D 5Φ10 — — — — 0.58 47.7 9.2 2.5 43.3 25.1 49.3 102.1
A-1 5Φ10 Z-3X2 Epoxy 1 0.16 0.66 85.3 20.7 5.9 60.3 27.1 86.3 75.7
A-2 5Φ10 Z-3X2 Epoxy 1 0.32 0.74 110.5 20.8 4.5 79.7 29.9 121.1 72.4
A-3 5Φ10 Z-3X2 Epoxy 2 0.32 0.74 107.8 20.1 5.87 76.5 31.5 100.4 54.5
B-1 5Φ10 B-12X Epoxy 1 0.14 0.65 80.4 10.1 1.4 60.4 31.2 88.6 89.2
B-2 5Φ10 B-12X Cementitious 1 0.14 0.65 80.4 10.6 1.8 60.0 33.6 72.7 56.8
B-3† 5Φ10 B-12X Cementitious 1 0.14 0.65 80.4 11.5 1.8 57.1 29.9 71.5 60.4
† 5Φ10 B-12X Cementitious 2 0.28 0.72 105.7 9.2 1.3 75.2 34.2 86.7 46.5
B-4
C-1 5Φ10 Carbon Epoxy 2 0.21 0.69 96.1 13.8 1.9 75.7 31.4 96.5 55.7
C-2 5Φ10 Carbon Epoxy 3 0.42 0.79 121.0 15.6 2.4 108.6 37.0 134.8 55.8
*Ply width indicated in Fig. 4.
†With anchor nails.

164 ACI Structural Journal/March-April 2006

 Table 2—Mechanical properties of epoxy matrix
Tensile strength, Elongation, % Flexural modulus,
Matrix MPa (strain at failure) MPa
SRP-epoxy 30 1.5 3800
CFRP-epoxy 30 1.2 3800

Table 3—Properties of steel cords

Filament Cord
Cord diameter, area, Cords ffu, εfu, Ef ,
Description coating mm mm2 per cm MPa mm/mm GPa
Three 0.35,
Z-3X2 Zinc 0.48 8.7 3070 0.017 184
two 0.35
B-12X Brass Three 0.22,
nine 0.20 0.43 6.3 3070 0.017 184

Table 4—Mechanical properties of cementitious

Fig. 3—Typical stress-strain relationship of SRP tapes.
grout
Flexural Compressive Splitting ten- Bonding
depending on temperature and relative humidity. The strength,* strength,* sile strength,* strength,*
Matrix MPa MPa MPa MPa
technical data of the cementitious grout, supplied by the
Cementitious
manufacturer, are shown in Table 4. grout 13.8 41.4 5.2 13.8
*
Strength at 28 days.
Upgrade strategy
The nominal flexural strength of Beams U and D was
computed according to ACI 318-02 recommendations twice that of Beam D, whereas for Beam C-2 it was
without reduction factors; for the remaining specimens approximately 90% of the design flexural capacity of
strengthened with either SRP or CFRP, the theoretical Beam U. Two of the beams strengthened with steel tape and
calculations were conducted according to ACI 440.2R-02 cementitious grout were mechanically anchored with nail
guidelines (Prota et al. 2004). anchors (B-3 and B-4). The nail anchor selected for this
As for the strengthening strategy, the design of Beam C-1 application was a wide-ringed-head nylon anchor with zinc-
was performed to double the capacity of the control specimen, plated hammer screw (Fig. 5). The anchor is 6 mm in diameter
Beam D; and then, the strengthening of Beam C-2 aimed at and 60 mm long. A 24 mm-diameter washer was used to
attaining a flexural strength comparable to that of control enlarge the ringed head of the anchor to obtain a better hold
specimen Beam U by doubling the CFRP area installed on to the SRP.
C-1. To carry out the strengthened beam design, the
following parameters were established (Table 1): SPECIMEN PREPARATION
1. The axial stiffness ratio S = Eext Aext /Es As (with Eext and The bottom face of all beams was sandblasted and cleaned
Aext, and Es and As being the elastic modulus and the total to ensure proper bond before strengthening. No primer was
area of externally bonded composites and internal steel bars, used for bonding SRP tapes with either epoxy or cementi-
respectively); and tious grout. When a uniform and complete mixing of the
2. The equivalent reinforcement ratio ρeq = ρs + ρext (Eext /Es) epoxy was observed, it was spread to areas where the steel
= ρs(1 + S) (where ρs and ρext are the reinforcement ratios of tape had contact. The steel tape was cut to design length and
As and Aext over the concrete cross-sectional area computed pressed onto the wet epoxy gel with a hard roller. Where two
as the width of the cross section times the depth of the plies of steel tape were used, an additional layer of epoxy
internal reinforcement, respectively). was spread and the previously mentioned steps were
The amount of SRP to be installed on seven specimens repeated. The second ply started 100 mm from the cut-off
was such to provide values of ρeq similar to that of Specimens point of the first ply.
C-1 or C-2. Once the SRP layout was determined with this For beams bonded with cementitious grout, the same
criterion, the flexural strength of each SRP-strengthened installation procedure was followed. For beams anchored
specimen was calculated assuming that ACI 440.2R-02 with nail anchors, a total of 31 holes, 60 mm deep and 6 mm
procedure could be extended to this technology. in diameter, were drilled in a staggered pattern along two
Table 1 shows the test matrix of the research program, parallel lines, with a center-to-center distance of 200 mm
summarizing the area of internal tensile steel, the type and (Fig. 4) before strengthening. After bonding the steel tape
matrix of the externally bonded reinforcement, the number with cementitious grout, the anchors were hammered into
of plies, and the values of both the S and ρeq ratios. Considering the holes and locked in with 24 mm-diameter washers.
the adopted test setup, the ultimate load Futh, corresponding The procedure for applying the CFRP laminates was as
to the predicted flexural capacity of each beam, was recommended by the manufacturer (Mapei 2000); suggestions
computed and reported in the next column of Table 1. provided by ACI 440.2R-02 (ACI Committee 440 2002)
Figure 4 shows geometric details for all strengthened beams. guidelines for externally bonded FRP systems were also
Seven beams were bonded with steel tapes impregnated with considered. The surface preparation started with a layer of
epoxy resin or cementitious grout (Beams A and B); the primer followed by a layer of putty. After the putty had
remaining two beams (C-1 and C-2) were strengthened with hardened, the carbon-fiber sheet was adhered to the surface
CFRP laminates using epoxy resin. Table 1 shows that the with the epoxy; steps similar to those used for the installation
design flexural capacity of Beam C-1 was approximately of SRP were then followed.

ACI Structural Journal/March-April 2006 165

 Fig. 5—Nail anchors.

Fig. 6—Load-deflection curves: control versus 3X2 bonded

beams.

some gauges were placed within the constant moment region

and some at the cut-off points; longitudinal and transverse
strain profiles were obtained.

TEST RESULTS
Before testing the beam specimens, characteristics of the
traditional materials were verified and found to be consistent
with the design assumption. Concrete cubes (with side of
150 mm) showed an average compressive strength of
approximately 40.1 MPa. For the reinforcing steel bars
(three samples per diameter), average values of 500 MPa,
600 MPa, and 12% were found for the yield strength, the
Fig. 4—Geometry and reinforcement of strengthened beams ultimate strength, and the ultimate strain, respectively.
(dimensions in mm). The load-midspan deflection curves of tested beams are
depicted in Fig. 6 to 8, which show the trends of each group
INSTRUMENTATION of beams strengthened with same material systems
All beams were instrumented to record global and local compared with the response of the two unstrengthened
parameters. The midspan deflection was measured by a beams. Values of loads and midspan deflections at first
vertical linear variable displacement transducer (LVDT). cracking (Fcr and δcr), yielding of tensile steel bars (Fy and
Three horizontal LVDTs were placed on one side of the δy) and ultimate (Fu and δu) are summarized in Table 1. The
specimen to record displacements over a length of 0.35 m first cracking of Beam U occurred at a load of 13.6 kN, while
across the midspan at depths of 5, 55, and 175 mm from the Beam D showed the first crack at a load of approximately
compressive fiber, respectively. On the opposite side, crack 9.2 kN. After first cracking, a loss of stiffness occurred for
width and concrete shortening were measured using demec both beams; curves highlight a change in slope that is more
targets placed 50 mm center-to-center on a total length of significant for Beam D than for U (Fig. 6). The shapes of the
0.55 m at the same depth of the LVDTs on the other side of load-deflection curves indicate another loss of stiffness at
the beam. Readings were taken at selected load levels. A loads of 141.4 and 43.3 kN for Beams U and D, respectively.
total of 20 strain gauges were used during each test to This is due to yielding of the tensile reinforcement that
measure strains on the externally bonded reinforcement. occurred at midspan deflections of 35.7 and 25.1 mm,
Depending on width and number of plies, the strain gauge respectively. After these thresholds, the behavior of both
arrangement slightly changed for each beam. In general, beams was characterized by large flexural cracks and then

166 ACI Structural Journal/March-April 2006

Fig. 7—Load-deflection curves: control versus 12X bonded Fig. 8—Load-deflection curves: control versus FRP bonded
beams. beams.

collapse due to concrete crushing in the constant moment

region. Failure loads were equal to 147.6 and 49.3 kN for
Specimens U and D; their ultimate behavior was characterized
by a ductility factor δu/δy of 1.6 and 4.0, respectively.
The installation of the 3X2 steel tape at the bottom of a
Type D beam was beneficial in terms of first cracking (Fig. 6).
Regardless of width and number of plies, first cracking of
Beams A-1, A-2, and A-3 occurred at a load of approximately
20 kN. A loss of stiffness was then observed; curves show a
similar slope for Beams A-1 and A-3, which are less stiff
than A-2. Further loss of stiffness was a consequence of
yielding of the steel bars; A-1 yielded at 60.3 kN, while A-2
and A-3 reached the yielding at loads of 79.7 and 76.5 kN,
respectively. After yielding the slope of each curve reflects
the different amount of external reinforcement: A-2 and A-3,
having the same amount of external steel tape, provide the
same slope and are stiffer than A-1. The mode of failure was
similar for the three beams: it was concrete cover separation Fig. 9—Lateral view of failure of Beam A-2.
(Fig. 9 and 10) that initiated at one of the loading points as
described in literature (Teng et al. 2001). The minimum ulti-
mate load within Group A beams was provided by A-1
whose failure occurred at approximately 86.3 kN; the
maximum load of 121.1 kN was attained by A-2. Tape layout
based on the same area as Beam A-2, but arranged on two
plies, limited the ultimate capacity of Beam A-3 to 100.4 kN.
This specimen exhibited the lower ultimate deflection (that
is, 54.5 mm); despite different ultimate strength, A-1 and
A-2 showed similar ultimate deflections of 75.7 and 72.4 mm,
respectively. The installation of 12X steel tape did not signif-
icantly affect the first cracking of Group B beams (Fig. 7),
whose cracking loads were in the range of 9.2 to 11.5 kN.
Deflections, however, were slightly lower than those of
Beam D at corresponding loads (Table 1). The loss of stiffness
due to cracking was very similar for Beams B-1, B-2, and
B-3; such similarity is also confirmed by very close values
of yielding loads ranging between 57.1 and 60.4 kN (Table 1).
Beam B-4, having twice the tape area, was stiffer than the
other three and yielded at a load of 75.2 kN. The ultimate Fig. 10—Bottom view of failure of Beam A-2.
behavior highlights that Beams B-2 and B-3 failed at loads
of 72.7 and 71.5 kN, respectively. This points out that the performance was attained by Beam B-4, whose failure
nails were unable to improve the ultimate performance of occurred at 86.7 kN. Doubling the tape area enabled B-4 to
Beam B-3, whose ultimate deflection (60.4 mm) was slightly reach an ultimate strength very close to that of an epoxy
larger than that of B-2 (56.8 mm). The epoxy resin allowed bonded beam with half the tape area (Beam B1), but reduced
Beam B-1, whose tape area was the same as for B-2 and B-3, its ultimate deflection to 46.5 mm. The failure of Beams B-1
to attain its failure at ultimate load and deflection equal to and B-2 was due to interfacial debonding that initiated at one
88.6 kN and 89.2 mm, respectively. Similar strength of the loading points, as previously discussed in the literature

ACI Structural Journal/March-April 2006 167

 that its yield load (108.6 kN) was higher than that of C-1
(75.7 kN). After the yield point, curves of both specimens
show further loss of stiffness that is again more significant
for Beam C-1 than that of C-2. Both collapsed due to FRP
debonding initiated at one of the loading points and is
characterized by separation of the concrete cover. Even
though Beam C-2 failed at a load approximately 40% higher
than C-1, their ultimate deflections were almost identical
(55.8 mm versus 55.7 mm).
Important information is also provided by the analysis of
strain gauge readings at both midspan and termination of the
externally bonded reinforcement of each beam. In this paper,
the discussion of local strains is limited to their average
values. Average strains of the SRP tape in the constant
moment region of Beams A-1 and A-2 were all close to
0.010, whereas an average value of 0.007 was recorded when
two plies of 3X2 tape were used (Beam A-3). Beam B-1,
Fig. 11—Bottom view of failure of Beam B-1. whose 12X tape was bonded with epoxy, provided an
average strain at midspan equal to 0.012; the average strain
recorded on the same tape bonded with cementitious mortar
with and without nail anchors (Beams B-3 and B-2,
respectively) was between 0.0051 and 0.006. A similar
average value (0.005) was recorded when two plies of 12X
tape were used (Beam B-4). Ultimate average strains at
midspan provided by beams strengthened with two plies
(Beam C-1) and three plies (Beam C-2) of CFRP laminate
were equal to 0.007 and 0.006, respectively.
Readings provided at beam failure by strain gauges installed
at the termination of the externally bonded reinforcement
were less homogeneous than those obtained at midspan due
to the well-known effect of stress concentration at the
termination of the plates (Cosenza and Pecce 2001). In
general, at the end of beams bonded with the 3X2 tape (Type A
beams), average ultimate strains were on the order of 0.0001
with peak values up to 0.0005. Average strains on the order
of 0.00007 were recorded at the end of 12X tapes (Type B
beams) with peaks up to 0.0003. Average strains on the order
Fig. 12—Bottom view of failure of Beam B-2. of 0.0002 were given by CFRP laminates with peak values
up to 0.002.

DISCUSSION
The analysis of the test results is conducted first with
respect to beams strengthened with the same external
reinforcement (3X2 tape, 12X tape, or CFRP laminate); and
then, beams using similar ρeq with different materials are
compared. Remarks on the influence of different reinforcement
type and layout on crack widths are also presented while
experimental-theoretical comparison in terms of strength,
crack widths, and deflections are reported elsewhere (Prota et al.
2004; Ceroni et al. 2004).
Fig. 13—Nail bearing in Beam B-3. For each group of beams strengthened with the same
system, the following can be highlighted:
1. Up to the yielding of the internal steel reinforcing bars,
(Teng et al. 2001). The epoxy allowed Beam B1 a better the slope of the load-deflection curve of Beam A-3 was very
engagement of the concrete substrate than that provided by similar to that of A-1, which had an external tape area of only
the cementitious grout on Beam B2; this can be observed by half of that in A-3. Beam A-2, equivalent to A-3 in terms of
comparing Fig. 11 and 12. The failure of Beams B-3 and B-4 tape area, exhibited a stiffer behavior before steel yielding.
was also due to interfacial debonding after nail-bearing This is also evidenced by the fact that average crack widths
failure (Fig. 13). were almost identical for Beams A-1 and A-3, but were
CFRP laminates increased cracking loads of Beams C-1 wider than those exhibited by Beam A-2. Considering that
and C-2 (13.8 and 15.6 kN, respectively) when compared crack spacing was similar for all tested beams and approximately
with reference Beam D (Fig. 8). The loss of stiffness due to equal to the stirrup spacing (100 mm), outcomes provided by
cracking was more significant for Beam C-1 than that of C-2, Group A beams suggest that the capability of the externally
having twice the external FRP area. This determined also bonded SRP to reduce crack width and to stiffen the member

168 ACI Structural Journal/March-April 2006

in the preyielding phase is strongly dependent on the width provided almost equal average crack widths and were more
of the external reinforcement rather than on its sectional area capable to reduce crack widths than the other three equivalent
(Ceroni et al. 2004); beams (Ceroni et al. 2004). Yielding of the steel bars for
2. By doubling the width of the 3X2 steel tape, the ultimate Beams A-1, B-1, B-2, and B-3 occurred at similar loads and
strength increased by approximately 40% (A-2 versus A-1), deflections (Table 1). The yield load of Beam C-1 was
while the ultimate deflection was quite similar. When the approximately 29% higher and corresponded to a similar
same area increase was achieved by doubling the number of deflection. Branches of load-deflection curves after steel
plies rather than width (Beam A-3), the strength increased yielding are approximately parallel, except for Beam C-1,
only by approximately 16% compared with Beam A-1 due to which was stiffer. If impregnated with epoxy, the 12X tape
a high concentration of interfacial stress. The ultimate allowed Beam B-1 to attain a ultimate deflection approximately
deflection was approximately 28% lower due to a lower 18% larger than A-1, even though both provided the same
stiffening effect already observed prior to yielding. Overall, strength. When it was impregnated with cementitious grout
if compared with Beam D, the 3X2 steel tape provided (Beam B-2) or eventually nailed (Beam B-3), such tape
increases of ultimate strength ranging between 75% (A-1) provided ultimate strength and deflection approximately 16 and
and 145% (A-2), even though the ultimate deflection had 23% smaller than those attained by Beam A-1. A higher
reductions ranging between 25% (A-1) and 46% (A-3); stiffness of CFRP laminate compared with that of SRP
3. No significant stiffening was provided by the 12X steel laminate (resulting in a postyield slope of C-1 steeper than that
tape installed on Beams B-1, B-2, and B-3 with epoxy and for A-1, as depicted in Fig. 6 and 8) allowed Beam C-1 to
cementitious grout compared with Beam D prior to yielding. attain an ultimate strength approximately 12% larger than
The load-deflection behavior of Beam B-4 was slightly stiffer A-1, even though its ultimate deflection was 26% smaller;
than Beam D after a load of approximately 25 kN. Such a result 2. By comparing the slopes of load-deflection curves of
suggests that the structure of the 12X tape makes it less stiff Beams A-2, A-3, B-4, and C-2 (characterized by ρeq ranging
than 3X2, and its effectiveness in reducing crack width (Ceroni between 0.72 and 0.79) it is observed that Tape 3X2 impreg-
et al. 2004) and increasing flexural stiffness is negligible; nated with epoxy (A-2 and A-3) was very effective in
4. Epoxy resin impregnation allowed Beam B-1 to with- delaying the first cracking; the CFRP reinforcement had
stand ultimate load and deflection values that were approxi- some influence on cracking initiation (C-2), which was not
mately 23 and 53% larger than those seen in equivalent affected by the installation of Tape 12X impregnated with
Beams B-2 and B-3 bonded with cementitious grout, respec- cementitious grout and anchored with nails (B-4) (Table 1).
tively. To attain the strength provided by epoxy resin with Slopes of branches between first cracking and steel yielding
cementitious grout, it was necessary to double the area of highlight a stiffening effect that was maximum for Beams A-2
12X tape (Beam B-1 versus B-4); however, the ultimate and C-2, was lower for Beam A-3, and was negligible in the
deflection of Beam B-4 was 48% smaller than that of B-1. case of Beam B-4. Such a trend was confirmed also by a
The use of nail anchors to improve bond of the 12X tape to comparison in terms of capacity of the externally bonded
the concrete surface did not affect strength significantly, but system to reduce crack widths (Ceroni et al. 2004). Yielding
ultimate deflection of Beam B-3 was approximately 6.5% of steel bars for Beams A-2, A-3, and B-4 occurred at similar
larger than that of B-2. When compared with the strength of loads and deflections (Table 1). The yielding of Beam C-2
Beam D, schemes based on 12X tape increased beam occurred at load and deflection approximately 41 and 15%
strength between 46 and 79% (B-3 and B-1, respectively), higher than these other three beams, respectively. Branches
with reductions of ultimate deflection ranging between 13 and of load-deflection curves after steel yielding are approxi-
55% (B-1 and B-4, respectively); and mately parallel for Beams A-2, A-3, and B-4. Beam C-2
5. The installation of CFRP affected the stiffness of provides a stiffer trend that could be partially due to the
strengthened beams and this was confirmed also by crack slight difference of ρeq with others (Table 1). The lower
width trends (Ceroni et al. 2004). By doubling the area of bond performance of the cementitious grout affected the
CFRP, the strength of Beam C-2 was approximately 39% strength of Beam B-4, which was 71 and 86% that of Beams A-2
higher than that of C-1; the ultimate deflections were almost and A-3 bonded with epoxy resin, respectively. Its ulti-
identical. If compared with Beam D, the CFRP reinforce- mate deflection was 65 and 85% that of A-2 and A-3,
ment allowed boosting the strength by percentages ranging respectively. The influence of stress concentration that
between 95 and 173%; a reduction of ultimate deflections of limited the ultimate performance of A-3 (two plies) when
45% was measured for both C-1 and C-2. compared with A-2 (one ply) was already discussed. Beam C-2
The effectiveness of different strengthening solutions can provided a strength 11% higher than A-2 with a ultimate
be assessed by comparing flexural members with similar ρeq deflection 23% smaller. Beams A-2 and C-2 exhibited ultimate
and considering that: strength on the order of 82 and 91% that of Beam U, even
1. Slopes of load-deflection curves of Beams A-1, B-1, though their ρeq was approximately equal to 49 and 52% that
B-2, B-3, and C-1, characterized by ρeq ranging between of Beam U, respectively. These data have particular relevance
0.65 and 0.69, are very similar up to yielding of the tensile if one considers that for both A-2 and C-2, the full capacity
bars. Tape 3X2, impregnated with epoxy (A-1), was more of the cross section was not exploited due to debonding of the
effective in delaying the first cracking compared with the externally bonded reinforcement. In terms of ultimate deflec-
CFRP laminate (C-1). Tape 12X, impregnated with epoxy tions, Beams A-2 and C-2 attained values equal to 1.26 and 0.98
(Beam B-1) or with cementitious grout (B-2 and B-3), did times that provided by Beam U, respectively (Table 1).
not increase the cracking load of the unstrengthened Beam D.
Load-deflection branches between first cracking and steel CONCLUSIONS
yielding of Beams A-1 and C-1 are almost identical; a The paper presents an experimental study aimed at
comparison highlights that both were stiffer than B-1, B-2, assessing the potential of SRP to provide a strengthening
and B-3. It was also observed that Beams A-1 and C-1 system alternative to traditional techniques and to FRP

ACI Structural Journal/March-April 2006 169

laminates. SRP-based solutions use improved traditional failure. These data will provide important background for
materials (steel and cementitious grout). This could be the extension of design criteria developed for FRP laminates
advantageous over FRP and overcome its problem areas such as to the case of SRP tapes bonded with either epoxy resin or
high cost of constituents (fibers and epoxy matrix), fire cementitious mortar.
resistance, low confidence and experience with nontraditional Laboratory outcomes confirmed the effectiveness of SRP
materials, and incompatibility with mechanical anchorages for the flexural strengthening of RC members. Even though
due to stress concentration. smaller than CFRP, strength increases provided by SRP
Experimental tests were conducted to assess the structural were significant if compared with upper limits that the
effectiveness of SRP and evaluate the influence of epoxy strengthening design needs to respect in compliance with
versus cementitious matrix; the possibility of using nail ACI 440.2R-02 (ACI Committee 440 2002) guidelines.
anchors to improve the bond of steel tapes impregnated with Epoxy-bonded SRP performed better than FRP in terms of
cementitious grout was also verified. The performance of ultimate deflection—this could be very important, especially
seven SRP-reinforced beams were compared with that of for structures that require a high displacement capacity.
unstrengthened and FRP-reinforced beams. This preliminary Overall, SRP strengthening systems appeared to be a
analysis of test results underlined that: promising technique that could be alternative to FRP when
1. Strength increases provided by SRP bonded with durability is not a critical requirement, even though more
cementitious grout were smaller than those obtained using research is needed on this aspect. The system could be
epoxy. CFRP was more effective than epoxy-bonded SRP in further optimized by improving the bond of the cementitious
terms of strength; the trend was inverted in terms of ultimate grout and by developing effective mechanical anchorages
deflections. Compared with the unstrengthened beam, SRP able to prevent or delay delamination. The experimental
allowed attaining strength increases ranging between 46 and results presented in the paper could represent a first step for
145%, while reductions of ultimate deflections ranged between the development of code recommendations for the design of
13 and 55%. A comparison between beams with equivalent flexural strengthening of RC structures using SRP.
reinforcement ratio highlights that epoxy-bonded SRP tapes
provided ultimate strength approximately 10% smaller than ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors would like to thank Hardwire LLC, Pocomoke City, Md.; Mapei
CFRP with deflections approximately 24% larger; Spa, Milan, Italy; and Sika Italia, Milan, Italy, for donating the steel tapes, the
2. The epoxy resin was more effective than the cementitious FRP system, and the epoxy resin/cementitious grout used to bond SRP.
grout in engaging the concrete substrate. Regardless of the
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170 ACI Structural Journal/March-April 2006