Effect of Strengthening Methods on Two-Way Slab under Low-Velocity Impact Loading

Abstract

In this study, the performance of reinforced concrete slabs strengthened using four methods was investigated under impact loads transferred from the top side to bottom side. The top and bottom sides of test slabs were strengthened by no-slump high-strength, high-ductility concrete (NSHSDC), fiber-reinforced-polymer (FRP) sheet, and sprayed FRP, respectively. The test results indicated that the test specimens strengthened with FRP series showed a 4% increase in reaction force and a decrease in deflection by more than 20% compared to the non-strengthened specimens. However, the specimen enhanced by the NSHSDC jacket at both the top and bottom sides exhibited the highest reaction force and energy dissipation as well as the above measurements because it contains two types of fibers in the NSHSDC. In addition, the weight loss rate was improved by approximately 0.12% for the NSHSDC specimen, which was the lowest among the specimens when measuring the weight before and after the impact load. Therefore, a linear relationship between the top and bottom strengthening of the NSHSDC and the impact resistance was confirmed, concluding that the NSHSDC is effective for impact resistance when the top and bottom sides are strengthened. The results of the analysis of the existing research show that the NSHSDC is considered to have high impact resistance, even though it has lower resistance than the steel fiber reinforced concrete and ultra-high-performance-concrete, it can be expected to further studies on strengthening of NSHSDC.