Evaluation and flexural response of timber beams strengthened with FRP bars

Performance of strengthened timber beams using epoxy resin with
near-surface mounted (NSM) basalt, and glass fibre reinforced polymer
(FRP) and steel bars single reinforcement is the primary focus of the
experimental study. Typical common interventions with timber mainly
comprise of steel fabrication or bolt-on timber sections. It is in the
vital interest for designers to adopt interventions that satisfy
structural integrity and to maintain a conservation philosophy. Hence,
introducing the strengthening of timber beams with bars, in particular,
FRP is an emerging composite in recent years with timber interventions.
The experimental method consisted of fabrication of NSM FRP and steel
bars bonded with timber (75 × 145 × 2400) with epoxy resins. The testing
results indicated that the reinforced timber beams provided higher
ultimate load than the controlled specimen by approximately 33 - 88%.
Furthermore, the NSM specimens were significantly stiffer than the
corresponding unreinforced timber beam. Theoretical results also recorded
similar results. The most notable failure mechanism was tensile failure
of timber and epoxy glue failure. The strain distribution of the
reinforced timber beams showed that the specimens varied with the
distribution of the neutral axis that shifted to both compression and
tensile zones.