Response of RC Beams Strengthened with CFRP Laminates and Subjected to a High Rate of Loading

Results are presented of an experimental program undertaken to investigate the effects of strain rate on the behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) beams strengthened with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates. Nine 3-m RC concrete beams, one unstrengthened, four strengthened with S-type CFRP laminates, and four strengthened with R-type laminates, were loaded under four different loading schedules. The stroke rates ranged from 0.0167 mm/s (slow rate of loading) to 36 mm/s (fast rate of loading). This induced a strain rate in the CFRP of 2.96 με/s (slow rate) to 6,930 με/s (fast rate). Some beams were subjected to either 1 or 12 cycles of loading prior to a fast rate of loading to failure. The rapidly loaded beams showed an increase of approximately 5% in capacity, stiffness, and energy absorption. Ductility and the mode of failure were not directly affected by the change in loading rate. Precycled beams performed similarly to the beams loaded monotonically to failure but showed a 10% increase in service stiffness and a 10% loss in energy absorption. A finite-element, layered analysis is presented to predict the moment-curvature response of CFRP strengthened RC beams. The model includes the effects of strain rate and correlates well with the experimental data.