1999 Volume 1999 Issue 620 Pages 279-289
Center notched concrete beams reinforced with carbon fiber (CFRP) and glass fiber (GFRP) reinforced plastic sheets were subjected to three-point bending. Fracture process and reinforcing effect were quantitatively evaluated by the analysis of AE signals detected during the tests. A moment tensor analysis showed that the fracture progresses in three stages, where cracks were generated in a small region at the notch tip, then along with main crack extension, initiation and extension of an inclined crack (45-degree) occurred from the tensile zone to the notch tip, and finally cracks were generated near the interface between the fiber sheet and concrete. It was shown that the load of crack initiation and the maximum load in the first stage of the fracture process increase greatly by the reinforcing effect of the bonded fiber sheets.
