Behaviour under static loading of metallic beams reinforced with a bonded CFRP plate

Carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) plates have been employed widely in the repair and upgrading of bridges and buildings in recent years. When they are used in the upgrading of metallic beams, the weakest link is the adhesive bonding, and plate peeling is the most important failure mode due to the high stress concentration at the end of the plates. This paper presents the results of a study on the static behaviour of metallic beams bonded with CFRP plates. A total of 10 specimens were tested for different cases. The results show the influencing factors on the strength of the metallic beams reinforced by different types of CFRP plates, the effects of the tapers at the plate ends and of the spew fillets beyond the plate ends. The test results also validate the theoretical results of stress analysis. The use of longer and tapered plates is suggested as a solution for improvement.