Fibre Reinforced Geopolymer versus Conventional Reinforced Concrete layers for the structural strengthening of RC beams

A common technique used to increase the flexural capacity of RC beams is the external application of RC layers. In this case, crucial parameter for the efficiency of the examined technique is the connection between the new layer and the existing concrete, since lack of sufficient connection at the interface may lead to premature failure of the strengthened elements. Another crucial parameter for the durability of the strengthened elements is the corrosion of the reinforcement of the layers. In the current study, fibre reinforced geopolymer concrete layers reinforced with steel bars were used for the flexural strengthening of reinforced concrete beams. Accelerated corrosion tests were conducted followed by flexural loading. The results indicate that, the addition of fibre reinforced geopolymer concrete offers improved load performance and durability, since higher maximum load increment was observed and the effect of corrosion was found to be negligible.