Effect of TRC and F/TRC Strengthening on the Cracking Behaviour of RC Beams in Bending.

The increasing demand on the performance of existing structures, together with their degradation, is among the main drivers towards the development of innovative strengthening solutions. While such solutions are generally aimed at increasing the load-bearing capacity of structural elements, serviceability limit states also play an important role in ensuring the performance and durability of the structure. An experimental campaign was performed to assess the cracking behaviour of reinforced concrete beams strengthened with different typologies of Textile-Reinforced Concrete. The specimens were monitored using Digital Image Correlation (DIC) technology in order to obtain a quantitative evaluation of the evolution of the crack pattern throughout the whole test. Results show the beneficial effects of this retrofitting strategy both at ultimate limit states and serviceability limit states, provide detailed insights on the progression of damage in the specimens and highlight how different parameters impact the cracking behaviour of the tested elements.