An Experimental Investigation On The Strength Characteristics Of Flanged Beams Using Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) Reinforcement

The repair and rehabilitation of deteriorating reinforced concrete (RC) structures have become increasingly important due to factors such as environmental degradation, aging, poor construction materials and workmanship, increased service loads, and the need for seismic retrofitting. Among various strengthening techniques, Fibre Reinforced Polymers (FRP) have emerged as an effective solution because of their high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, and ease of installation.Previous studies on torsional strengthening have primarily concentrated on solid rectangular RC beams with different fibre types and wrapping configurations. Several analytical models have been developed and validated experimentally for predicting the torsional behavior of such beams. However, limited research has focused on the torsional strengthening of flanged RC T-beams, where the contribution of the flange to torsional resistance is often neglected in design codes. The present study aims to experimentally investigate the torsional behavior of solid RC flanged (T-section) beams strengthened using externally bonded Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) fabrics. The influence of flange width, strengthening configurations, and fibre orientations on the torsional performance of beams was examined. Control beams without FRP were tested to compare their performance with GFRP-strengthened specimens