article · Buildings
Reinforced concrete beams subjected to twisting forces often require structural strengthening to prevent failure. An experimental and numerical evaluation tested full-scale concrete beams retrofitted with various wrapping materials against an unstrengthened control beam. The techniques assessed included anchored aluminium strips, anchored stainless steel strips, glass fibre reinforced polymer, and either single or double layers of wrapped steel wire mesh. Every strengthening method improved torsional capacity compared to the control beam. Aluminium and stainless steel strips boosted ultimate torque by 32 percent and 40 percent respectively. Wrapping with glass fibre reinforced polymer increased torque capacity by 62 percent, whilst single and double layers of steel wire mesh yielded increases of 118 percent and 163 percent. The two-layer steel wire mesh configuration also delivered the highest ductility and largest increase in the ultimate angle of twist. Finite element simulations closely matched the experimental findings.
Concrete beams in modern buildings and bridges frequently experience twisting stresses that can compromise structural safety. Identifying reliable methods to upgrade existing beams without total replacement is vital for civil infrastructure maintenance. Demonstrating that accessible materials such as steel wire mesh can outperform more expensive alternatives helps structural engineers choose cost-effective solutions for strengthening ageing or overloaded concrete structures.
This work provides applied and tested performance benchmarks for structural engineers, retrofitting contractors, and infrastructure rehabilitation teams seeking cost-effective beam strengthening methods. The findings demonstrate that wrapping concrete members with steel wire mesh offers substantial gains in twisting resistance and ductility compared to fibre-reinforced polymers or metal strips. Because the testing evaluated full-scale components alongside validated numerical models, the techniques represent practical retrofitting options that can inform engineering specifications.
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Many structural elements are subjected to a significant torsional moment that affects the structural design and may require strengthening. This paper presents different effective strengthening techniques to enhance the torsional capacity of reinforced concrete (RC) beams. An experimental and numerical investigation was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of utilizing various strengthening systems. The experimental program included six full-scale RC beams with a cross-section dimension of (150 mm × 300 mm) and a length of 1500 mm, split into one beam without strengthening as a control beam, and six beams strengthened with various materials. The various strengthening materials were wrapped aluminum strips with anchorage bolts, wrapped stainless steel strips with anchorage bolts, wrapped glass fiber reinforcement polymer (GFRP), one layer of wrapped steel wire, and two layers of wrapped steel wire meshes along the beam. The results showed that the ultimate torque of the beam strengthened by wrapped aluminum strips and the beam strengthened by wrapped stainless steel strips was larger than the control beam by about 32% and 40%, respectively, because the strips acted as an external reinforcement. In addition to the strengthening systems, using aluminum strips and stainless steel strips is effective in raising the capacity to a similar degree despite the high cost of the stainless steel strips. The ultimate torque of the beams strengthened by GFRP, one-layered wrapped steel wire meshes, and two-layered wrapped steel wire meshes along the beam is larger than the control beam by about 62%, 118%, and 163%, respectively, in addition to the ultimate angle of twist, which was larger than the control beam by about 53%, 93%, and 126%, respectively. This showed that the strengthening using the two-layered wrapped steel wire meshes along the beam would be very significant in increasing the ultimate torque strength. Moreover, the strengthened beam by two-layered fully wrapped steel wire meshes along the beam developed the highest ductility factor compared to all strengthened beams; in contrast, the beam strengthened by GFRP had less ductility. To verify the outcomes of the experimental tests, a finite-element program, ABAQUS, was performed. Finally, an excellent agreement between the experimental and numerical results was obtained.
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DOI: 10.3390/buildings12111776
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