Abstract:
The need to strengthen deteriorating reinforced concrete structures has increased. Because of its
simplicity of application and structural strength, externally bonded reinforcement is a common
approach for flexure strengthening of reinforced concrete beams. Some of the shortcomings make
its usage limited, like surface preparation, skilled labor, installation time, and premature failure
(debonding/delamination). This research topic studies the feasibility of using aluminum alloy
based on the local availability for the flexure strengthening of reinforced concrete beams.
Aluminum Alloy plates with anchor bolts have the potential to overcome these defects and can act
as a suitable alternative for better strength and ductility. To explore the influence of the number of
bolts on the type of failure of an aluminum-plated reinforced concrete beam, four beams have been
cast with one control beam (CB) and three other beams having Aluminum Alloy plate with two,
four, and six number of bolts attached each side to the bottom of the reinforced concrete beam
respectively. Analysis of the experiments included examining graphs of load deflections, types of
failure, overall ductility, and energy absorption capacity. Results indicate a 38% to 52.5%
improvement in strength and a 27% to 74% decline in ductility over the control beam. The number
of bolts at the end of the plate makes a more efficient anchorage system. Moreover, ACI 318
analytical models were employed to predict the flexural capacity of the tested specimens. The
results obtained from these models were compared to the experimental findings, showing a close
agreement between the predicted and actual values of 2% to 10%. This highlights the reliability
and accuracy of the ACI 318 analytical models in estimating the flexural capacity of the specimens.
