Carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer repair to extend service life of corroded reinforced concrete beams

This paper presents the results of an experimental study designed to investigate the viability of using externally bonded carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates to extend the service life of corroded reinforced concrete (RC) beams. A total of 14 beams, 152 X 254 X 3,200 mm each, were tested. Three beams were not corroded; two of them were strengthened by CFRP laminates, while one specimen was kept as a virgin. The remaining 11 beams were subjected to different levels of corrosion damage up to a 31 % steel mass loss using an impressed current technique. Six of the corroded beams were repaired with CFRP laminates, whereas the remaining five beams were not repaired. Eventually, all specimens were tested to failure under four-point bending. Corrosion of the steel reinforcement significantly reduced the load-carrying capacity of RC beams. At all levels of corrosion damage, CFRP repair increased the ultimate strengths of the corroded beams to levels higher than the strength of the virgin beam but significantly reduced the deflection capacity.