Experimental investigation on shear behavior of cracked reinforced concrete beams strengthened with carbon textile reinforced concrete

This study examines the strengthening effects of carbon textile-reinforced concrete (CTRC) on the shear behavior of pre-cracked reinforced concrete beams. Six reinforced concrete beams, each with an aspect ratio of 1.6, underwent three-point bending tests, comprising two control specimens and four strengthened specimens. Prior to the application of U-wrapped carbon textile reinforcement, all beams were subjected to pre-loading to induce shear cracking. The strengthening process involved utilizing either two or three layers of carbon textile. The findings reveal a significant enhancement in the shear capacity of the CTRC-strengthened beams compared to the control beams. Notably, the shear strength of the specimens reinforced with two layers of carbon textile increased by 34.7%, whereas those reinforced with three layers increased by 50.9% compared to the control specimens. Thus, carbon TRC effectively restored and elevated the shear capacity of damaged specimens to levels akin to those of control beams.