Strengthening of Polypropylene fiber reinforced flat slab using BFRP fan and laminate against line loading.

This paper investigates the comparative study of performance of two-way polypropylene fiber reinforced flat slab strengthened with BFRP (Basalt fiber reinforced polymer) fan and laminate against concentric loading. Three slabs of same dimension (1000 x 1000 x 135mm) were casted. Two slabs were reinforced with an optimum percentage (say 0.3%) of polypropylene fiber and one slab is taken as the control specimen. One of the slabs are Strengthened with BFRP string (obtained from basalt fabrics) having a fan shape as a new strengthening technique. For strengthening 16 double strand strengtheners were used and strengthened from a critical distance for punching shear of d/2 from the column face. Another slab is strengthened with basalt strip in a radial pattern.

The result reveals that the suggested strengthening technique increased the load carrying capacity and enhances the ductile behavior of the flat slab in comparison with the unstrengthen slab. These strengthening methods are capable of enhancing both maximum loading capacity and reduce the formation of retraction crack thus avoids brittle failures that may occur under line loading. This method of strengthening improves the bearing capacity of the slab without increasing the size of the structural components.