Assessing the Impact of Using (FRP) Material for Strengthening the Holes in (RC) Beams

To provide convenient access to service ducts, beam and girder web openings are very prevalent in practice.The insertion of a reinforced concrete (RC) beam into the web, however, reduces the stiffness and strength of the beam because of the local cracking around the aperture.The employ of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) laminas in general and not a specific type of them for reinforcing the holes was showed in this paper including their dimension and some design parameters change, such as the number and placement of (FRP) sheets near the opening.The experimental work was presented by comprised the testing of ten reinforced concrete beams, four of them were tested without reinforcement, five of which had (FRP) sheets around the opening for reinforcement, and the remaining beam was solid.The (FE) program consists of ten beams were modelled by using Abaqus, one of them was control solid beam and other nine beams were with hollow.The load-deflection relationships were evaluated before failure, and crack patterns were obtained and compared with the experimental results available.The numerical and experimental results agreed well.Reinforced concrete beams are the cornerstone of modern infrastructure, carrying heavy loads and forming the basic structure of buildings and structures.However, these beams may be damaged or deteriorated over time due to multiple factors such as corrosion, overload, moisture, and fire.In addition, the need to make modifications or openings in these beams for maintenance or service installation purposes may negatively affect their load-bearing capacity.To overcome these challenges, modern techniques have emerged to strengthen concrete elements, the most important of which is the technique of strengthening concrete with fiber reinforced polymer (FRP).This technique is highly effective in increasing the load-bearing capacity of concrete beams, improving their performance under different loads, and extending their service life.A brief critique of the limitations of existing studies should be included to highlight the significance of the present work.Inadequate studies on the interaction between FRP and concrete: There are still gaps in our understanding of the interaction between FRP and concrete at the microscopic level, which affects the accuracy of computational models.The research focused on the behavior of FRP-reinforced concrete hollow core beams under different loads, filling a gap in previous research.The research combined computer simulations and laboratory tests to ensure the accuracy of the results and provide a comprehensive picture of the behavior of the beams.The research identified the best methods for applying FRP sheets to improve the load-bearing capacity of beams around openings, providing practical guidance for engineers.