Repair, retrofitting and rehabilitation techniques for strengthening of reinforced concrete beams - A review

Structural strengthening of reinforced concrete (RC) beams is becoming essential to meet the up-gradation of existing structures due to the infrastructure development. Strengthening is also essential for damaged structural element due to the adverse environmental condition and other distressing factors. This article reviews the state of the field on repair, retrofitting and rehabilitation techniques for the strengthening of RC beams. Strengthening of RC beams using various promising techniques such as externally bonded steel plates, concrete jacketing, fibre reinforced laminates or sheets, external prestressing/ external bar reinforcement technique and ultra-high performance concrete overlay have been extensively investigated for the past four decades. The primary objective of this article is to discuss investigations on various strengthening techniques over the years. Various parameters that have been discussed include the flexural capacity, shear strength, failure modes of various strengthening techniques and advances in techniques over the years. Firstly, background information on strengthening, including repair, retrofitting, and rehabilitation of RC beams is provided. Secondly, the existing strengthening techniques for reinforced concrete beams are discussed. Finally, the relative comparisons and limitations in the existing techniques are presented.