Challenges in rehabilitation techniques in strengthening cracked concrete beams

The feasibility of Epoxy to repair of cracks such as Flexural cracks and Shear cracks of various widths in the concrete were examined. The main focus of research investigation is in the areas of the concrete Repair and Rehabilitation which have been formulated by injection of Epoxy Resin under high pressure for their behaviour. The bonding characteristics of rehabilitated beams were suitably analyzed for their behaviour. The first stage of experimental programme involves studying the static behaviour of flexural member under two point static loading to obtain the load deflection behaviour having sectional dimensions 150 à 230mm with an effective span of 2000 mm. Three test beam specimens were tested at 100, 70 and 40 of the ultimate loads respectively to create flexural and shear cracks. Energy absorption capacity, toughness index and ductility index were evaluated. The second stage of experimental investigation involves flexural test of rehabilitated failed test specimen after epoxy resin injection. It is experimentally evident that the rehabilitated beams behaved much better with respect to the first crack load, energy absorption capacity, toughness index and ductility index as compared to the beam before rehabilitation. The proposed technique is simple and economical to execute and has resulted in an adhesively bonded joints without any additional effort such as jacketing or shear connectors. © 2013 Taylor & Francis Group