Investigation of flexural performance of RC beams strengthened with CFRP textile and cement based adhesives

Strengthening of concrete structures with epoxy-bonded FRP composites is suitable for environments where the temperature is well below the glass transition temperature of the epoxy adhesive, Tg, which is normally in the range of 55-60oC. It is very beneficial if cementitious mineral-based bonding agents replace epoxy adhesives in order to produce a fire-resistant strengthening system. Tests conducted by the authors have already shown that excellent reinforcement action can be achieved using cement-based adhesives. Tests included in the current paper investigated the flexural performance of strengthened beams at normal and high temperature. The strengthened RC beam with cement-based adhesive showed a considerable improvement in flexural performance at normal temperature. The strengthened RC beam with cement-based adhesive showed a considerable improvement in flexural performance at high temperature compared to the specimens with epoxy. The specimens with cement-based adhesive failed at temperatures nearly double of that with epoxy-based adhesive