Torsion Strengthening of RC Beams with External Lateral Pressure Using Steel Plates

A few procedures and techniques have been created for strengthening RC beams in bridges to update torsional strength. In this paper, an experimental investigation is directed on the enhancement of the torsional resistance of the RC beams by applying external lateral pressure along their spans through four angles arranged around the beam corners and associated with each other by welded steel strips. Eleven beams were exposed to pure torsional moment to study the behavior and performance of the strengthening RC beams. The fundamental studied parameters were the pressure intensities and their direction. The torque and the twist angle of the beams were recorded for different sidelong pressure amounts and their guidelines. The RC beams were modeled using the finite element method and analyzed (software program ANSYS-19) for comparison with the experimental work results. Results show substantial increase in the torsional efficiency using sidelong pressure of RC beams. Test beams that were strengthened with sidelong pressure in breadth direction showed better enhancement in the ultimate torsional moment as opposed to the beams that were strengthened with the same pressure in depth direction.