External steel plate systems for the shear strengthening of reinforced concrete beams

Attaching steel plates to the external surfaces of concrete beams can provide a practical solution to the upgrading of existing structures. When plates are fixed to the sides (web) of a beam a large increase in the shear capacity can be realised. The experimental results from two methods of plate attachment, namely adhesive bonding and bolting, are examined and compared. A method of analysis, based on the equilibrium of forces along the critical section, is proposed.