Comparative Study of RC Members with Strengthening Using Strain Hardening Cementitious Composite and Fiber Reinforced Mortar

Strain hardening cementitious composite (SHCC) and fiber reinforced mortar (FRM) are considered as suitable for strengthening reinforced concrete (RC) structures, both of which belong to fiber reinforced cementitious composite (FRCC), whereas the distinctive strengthening effects of RC structure using SHCC and FRM have not been sufficiently understood until now. In this study, the comparative study of RC members with flexural strengthening using SHCC and FRM is implemented, focusing on the load carrying capacity and ductility improvement of the strengthened RC member. The result demonstrates that the load carrying capacity of the RC member, even strengthened with a plain SHCC layer, can be improved from that of the RC member with strengthening using a steel-reinforced FRM layer, and the ductility of the RC member with strengthening using a steel-reinforced SHCC layer is significantly improved from that of the RC member with strengthening using plain SHCC layer, because the multiple fine cracks in the SHCC layer are obviously increased even with a low-reinforcement-ratio steel bar adopted in the SHCC layer.