Experimental study on the effectiveness of CFRP strengthening of shear-deficient reinforced concrete beams under impact loading

The paper focuses on understanding the importance of shear mechanisms on reinforced concrete (RC) beams and comparing with CFRP externally reinforced beams under static and impact loading. A total of six RC beams were tested in two groups: shear-deficient (A) and externally reinforced beams (B) with carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP). All beams designed had identical reinforcement properties with the intent to investigate the influences of composite materials on the overall results. Emphasis was placed on crack propagation, experimental failure modes and prevention methods. Experimental results confirm that increases in the shear reinforcement decreases the overall impact displacement, indicating that the shear properties influence the performance of the beams under impact loading. The outcomes also reveal significant improvements in the performance of the RC beams with CFRP external reinforcement in terms of their impact resistance and energy absorption.