Analysis of strengthening efficiency of RC members with prestressed CFRP composites

A subject of the paper is an analysis of the flexural strengthening efficiency of RC members using prestressed CFRP composites. This method brings many advantages including reduction of deflections, crack widths, stress in the internal steel reinforcement and increase in the fatigue resistance. However, general problems referring applications of the strengthening systems with prestressed CFRPs and recent developments in the field are presented in the paper. Based on a collected test database, the authors performed an analysis of failure modes of the strengthened members and strengthening efficiency depending on variable investigated parameters. The aim of the paper was to define the influence of steel percentage, composite percentage and initial CFRP prestressing strain on efficiency of the used strengthening method in terms of the ultimate limit and serviceability limit states.