NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF RC SLAB STRENGHTENED WITH CFRP STRIPS, MILD STEEL LAMINATES, CARBON FIBRE ROD UNDER GRADUALLY APPLIED LOAD AND IMPACT LOAD

Reinforced concrete slab is an essential component in all kind of structures. They are subjected to impact loads from accidental mishaps like falling of construction equipment, rocks and boulders which are not considered in structural design. But current advancements in computational techniques make it possible to obtain the response of slabs subjected to impact load. This study aims to investigate the behaviour of RC slab strengthened with Carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) strips, mild steel laminates and carbon fibre rod through a numerical simulation using ANSYS Workbench. In the preliminary stage of study, a three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) model is developed to simulate the response of strengthened reinforced concrete (RC) slabs under gradually applied load and then the load deformation diagram and stiffness of the slab is evaluated in this study. In next phase, the response of strengthened RC slab shall be evaluated under an impact load. In final phase of study, an optimal configuration of slab is obtained in accordance with the stiffness of the strengthened slabs. It can thus be concluded that the developed FE model could be used as a platform to predict the behaviour of reinforced concrete slabs when strengthened with CFRP strips, mild steel laminates and carbon fibre rod.