Behavior of normal and recycled aggregates beams strengthened with different types of externally bonded shear reinforcement

This study aims at investigating the effect of strengthening shear-deficient recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) beams with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates. Five RAC beams were cast, four of which were strengthened with different CFRP shear strengthening configurations: U-wraps bonded at 45°, vertical U-wraps, continuous U-wraps along the shear span, and side-boned laminates. In addition, one RAC specimen was left unstrengthened to act as a benchmark specimen. For comparison purposes, an additional five normal aggregate concrete (NAC) beams were cast, three of which are strengthened with similar CFRP schemes as that of the RAC, and one was left unstrengthened. All beams are loaded under four-point bending tests, and the results in terms of shear force-deflection graphs and failure modes are analyzed and compared. Experimental results indicated that the shear force values obtained in NAC and RAC beams are comparable. In fact, the percentage increase in the shear strength compared to the respective control beam was higher for RAC beams than that of NAC beams. This proves the effectiveness of using different shear strengthening configurations and the viability of using CFRP shear strengthened RAC beams compared to CFRP shear strengthened NAC beams.