Falling-Weight Impact Tests of Flexural Strengthened RC Beams with AFRP Sheet

Abstract

In this study, in order to investigate the impact resistant behavior of the flexural strengthened Reinforced Concrete (RC) beams with Aramid Fiber Reinforced Polymer (AFRP) sheet, falling-weight impact tests were conducted taking with/without bonding AFRP sheet and a height of the falling weight as variables. From this study, the following results were obtained: 1) impact resistant capacity of the RC beams can be upgraded up to 1.2 times by flexural strengthening with AFRP sheet; and 2) at the ultimate state, the AFRP sheet tends to be ruptured right under the loading point rather than being debonded.