Research Information System
Engineering Failure Analysis, vol.179, 2025 (SCI-Expanded)
Shear failure, characterized by sudden and brittle fractures, poses significant risks to reinforced concrete beams, particularly under seismic loading. This study experimentally investigates the hysteretic behaviour and failure mechanisms of shear-deficient reinforced concrete beams strengthened with textile-reinforced mortar strips. A total of 20 reinforced concrete beam specimens with varying shear reinforcement ratios and concrete compressive strengths were prepared. Of these, four served as unstrengthened reference specimens, while the remaining 16 were retrofitted using textile-reinforced mortar strips anchored with carbon fibre-reinforced polymer fan-type anchors. The reference specimens had already been tested in a previous study and were reused here to ensure consistency and allow for comparison with a different strengthening technique (CFRP). All specimens, with cross-sectional dimensions of 150 × 350 mm and constructed at half scale, were subjected to reversed cyclic loading under a displacement-controlled protocol. Load responses and displacement histories were meticulously recorded. Key performance parameters, including maximum load capacity, initial stiffness, displacement ductility, and energy dissipation, were evaluated. Failure modes and crack propagation patterns were also documented in detail. The experimental findings revealed that textile-reinforced mortar strengthening significantly improved the seismic performance of shear-deficient reinforced concrete beams. Strengthened specimens exhibited enhanced load-bearing capacity, greater ductility, and increased energy dissipation, with failure modes shifting from brittle shear to more desirable ductile flexural mechanisms. Furthermore, non-linear finite element analyses conducted in ABAQUS demonstrated strong agreement with the experimental results, confirming the reliability of the proposed retrofitting technique. Overall, this study presents a practical and effective approach to reduce shear-induced damage in reinforced concrete beams and to increase the earthquake resistance of existing structures and has shown that retrofitting with TRM is an important and recommended technique considering its positive effects on the performance parameters of such reinforced concrete beams.