Torsional Performance of Reinforced Concrete Beams Strengthened with High-Performance Concrete: Numerical Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31272/jeasd.2621Keywords:
Finite Element, High Performance Concrete, Numerical Analysis, Strengthening, Torsional BehaviorAbstract
A numerical investigation of the torsional strength of composite materials using normal-strength concrete (NC) and high-performance concrete (HPC) has recently attracted researchers' attention. NC and HPC are commonly used in construction due to their mechanical properties and durability. This work evaluates the effect of strengthening RC beams with HPC to overcome severe torsional damage. To achieve the objectives, a numerical simulation of RC solid and hollow beams subjected to torsion and strengthened with HPC has been performed using three techniques: bottom, side, and U-shaped strengthening, with varying thicknesses. A constitutive model based on the ACI code (318-19) has been derived to validate the FE simulation and describe the effect of strengthening on torsional performance. The results showed that the U-shape method was the most effective and is recommended as a rehabilitation technique. The work also introduced a refined formulation, with principal tensile stress coefficients that averaged 15.2% higher than those in the ACI code. The constitutive model validated the numerical results, showing a maximum variation of less than 7% from the FE results and high R² values near 1, indicating a strong predictive model for torsional strength.
References
A. A. Hamoda, B. A. Eltaly, M. Ghalla, and Q. Q. Liang, “Behavior of reinforced concrete ring beams strengthened with sustainable materials,” Engineering Structures, vol. 290, no. 116374, 2023. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2023.116374.
S. H. Muhammed and A. H. Aziz, “Torsion Enhancement of Reinforced Self-Compacting Concrete Box Beams Using Internal Framed Steel Stiffening Ribs,” J. Eng. Sustain. Dev., vol. 24, no. 4, pp. 89–103, 2020. doi: https://doi.org/10.31272/jeasd.24.4.10
M. L. Wang and D. Keierleber, “Investigation of shear strength of SIFCON using torsion tests,” Construction and Building Materials, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 93–100, 1991, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/0950-0618(91)90007-8
M. I. Ali and A. A. Al-Azzawi, “Finite element analysis of RC beams strengthened with near-surface mounted reinforcement bars under pure torsion,” IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, vol. 1232, no. 1, no. 012026, 2023. doi: https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1232/1/012026.
A. R. Zojaji and M. Z. Kabir, “Analytical approach for predicting full torsional behavior of reinforced concrete beams strengthened with FRP materials,” Sci. Iran., vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 51–63, 2012. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scient.2011.12.004
R. S. Atea, “Torsional Behavior of Reinforced Concrete T Beams Strengthened with CFRP Strips,” Case Stud. Constr. Mater., vol. 7, no. March, pp. 110–117, 2017. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cscm.2017.03.002.
S. B. Kandekar and R. S. Talikoti, “Torsional behaviour of reinforced concrete beam wrapped with aramid fiber,” J. King Saud Univ. - Eng. Sci., vol. 31, no. 4, pp. 340–344, 2019. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jksues.2018.02.001.
G. C. Behera, T. D. G. Rao, and C. B. K. Rao, “Torsional behaviour of reinforced concrete beams with ferrocement U-jacketing-Experimental study,” Case Stud. Constr. Mater., vol. 4, pp. 15–31, 2016. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cscm.2015.10.003.
M. Abdel-Ghaffar, A. Salah-Eldin, A. Erfan, and A. Salem, “Experimental investigation of fibrous reinforced concrete beams under torsion loads,” Engineering Research Journal - Faculty of Engineering (Shoubra), vol. 52, no. 2, pp. 172–176, 2023. doi: https://doi.org/10.21608/erjsh.2023.191020.1138.
M. A. El-Mandouh, J.-W. Hu, W.-S. Shim, F. Abdelazeem, and G. Elsamak, “Torsional improvement of RC beams using various strengthening systems,” Buildings, vol. 12, no. 11, no. 1776, 2022. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12111776
T. J. Mohammed, B. H. Abu Bakar, and N. M. Bunnori, “Effects of thickness of ultra-high-performance fiber concrete wrapping on the torsional strength of reinforced concrete beam,” Applied Mechanics and Materials, vol. 802, pp. 161–165, 2015. doi: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.802.161.
C. Zhou, J. Wang, X. Shao, L. Li, J. Sun, and X. Wang, “The feasibility of using ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) to strengthen RC beams in torsion,” J. Mater. Res. Technol., vol. 24, pp. 9961–9983, 2023. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmrt.2023.05.185
A. P. Lampropoulos, S. A. Paschalis, O. T. Tsioulou, and S. E. Dritsos, “Strengthening of existing reinforced concrete beams using ultra high performance fibre reinforced concrete,” in Concrete Repair, Rehabilitation and Retrofitting IV: Proc. 4th Int. Conf. on Concrete Repair, Rehabilitation and Retrofitting (ICCRRR 2015), Leipzig, Germany, 2015, pp. 124–125. doi: https://doi.org/10.1201/b18972-80.
P. R. Prem and A. R. Murthy, “Acoustic emission and flexural behaviour of RC beams strengthened with UHPC overlay,” Constr. Build. Mater., vol. 123, pp. 481–492, 2016. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.07.033.
M. Safdar, T. Matsumoto, and K. Kakuma, “Flexural behavior of reinforced concrete beams repaired with ultra-high performance fiber reinforced concrete (UHPFRC),” Compos. Struct., vol. 157, pp. 448–460, Dec. 2016. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruct.2016.09.010.
J. K. Mures, M. A. I. Ahmed, and A. H. Chkheiwer, “Torsional behavior of high strength concrete members strengthened by mixed steel fibers,” Journal of Engineering, vol. 2021, no. 5539623, 2021. doi: https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/5539623.
R. Ullah, Y. Qiang, J. Ahmad, N. I. Vatin, and M. A. El-Shorbagy, “Ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC): A state-of-the-art review,” Materials, vol. 15, no. 12, no. 4131, 2022. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15124131.
A. Karimipour, J. de Brito, M. Ghalehnovi, and O. Gençel, “Torsional behaviour of rectangular high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete beams,” Structures, vol. 35, pp. 511–519, 2022. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.istruc.2021.11.037
N. Ayaad and N. Oukaili, “Impact torsional behavior and strengthening of reinforced concrete spandrel beams,” Case Stud. Constr. Mater., vol. 19, no. October, p. e02591, 2023. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cscm.2023.e02591.
T. J. Mohammed, K. M. Breesem, and A. F. Hussein, “Numerical analysis of torsional reinforcement of concrete beams in unconventional by ANSYS software,” Civil Engineering Journal, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 41–51, Jan. 2023. doi: https://doi.org/10.28991/CEJ-2023-09-01-04.
A. G. Nasser, M. H. Makhlouf, K. M. Elsayed, and G. I. K., “Experimental and numerical investigation on RC beams with web openings subjected to pure torsion strengthened by ferrocement technique or GFRP sheets,” Structures, vol. 69, Art. no. 107479, Nov. 2024, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.istruc.2024.107479
M. A. Alrawi and M. N. Mahmood, “Torsional Behavior of Strengthened Reinforced Concrete Beams by CFRP Sheets: Parametric study,” Anbar J. Eng. Sci., vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 229–244, 2021. doi: https://doi.org/10.37649/aengs.2021.171191.
X. Chen, Z. Wang, et al., “Torsional strengthening using carbon fiber reinforced polymer of reinforced concrete beams subject to combined bending, shear and torsion,” Advances in Structural Engineering, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 272-286, 2023, doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/13694332221124624.
T. J. Mohammed, B. H. A. Bakar, and N. M. Bunnori, “Torsional improvement of reinforced concrete beams using ultra high-performance fiber reinforced concrete (UHPFC) jackets – Experimental study,” Constr. Build. Mater., vol. 106, pp. 533–542, 2016. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2015.12.160.
X. Cao, L. Wu, and Z. Li, “Behaviour of steel-reinforced concrete columns under combined torsion based on ABAQUS FEA,” Engineering Structures, vol. 209, no. 109980, 2020. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2019.109980.
B. Eltaly, M. El-Sayed, N. Meleka, and K. Kandil, “Torsion behavior of strengthened reinforced concrete box girders with openings: Analytical and experimental investigation,” Structures, vol. 60, Art. no. 105908, Feb. 2024. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.istruc.2024.105908.
M. K. Abbas and M. K. Hamzah, “Numerical investigation on flexural performance of hybrid concrete T-beams,” in AIP Conference Proceedings, vol. 2806, no. 1, no. 040041, 2023. doi: https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0166265.
ACI Committee 318, Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete (ACI 318-19) and Commentary. Farmington Hills, MI, USA: American Concrete Institute, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.concrete.org/store/productdetail.aspx?ItemID=318U19.
Downloads
Key Dates
Received
Revised
Accepted
Published Online First
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Maher K. Abbas, Mustafa Kareem Hamzah, Zahraa A. Naser, Nabeel H. Al-Salim (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
