Interfacial stresses in beams strengthened with bonded prestressed plates

Many studies exist that address beams retrofitted with fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) or steel plates; however, only a few used prestressed plates for strengthening. Basically, the governing equations of beams strengthened with prestressed plates are identical to the ones strengthened by non-prestressed plates. Nonetheless, when a prestressed plate is used, there are additional terms that should be considered in the analysis. This paper discusses the existing method of considering those additional terms and suggests new formulations. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.