State of research on shear strengthening of RC beams with FRCM composites

•A database of RC beams strengthened in shear with FRCM composites is developed.•FRCM composites provide increase in the shear strength of RC beams of 3%–195%.•Possible internal-external transverse reinforcement interaction is observed.•Different failure modes are observed depending on the strengthening configuration.•Further work is needed to develop more accurate and reliable design models. This paper summarizes the state of research on the topic of shear strengthening of RC beams using externally bonded FRCM composites. In the first part of this paper, a detailed bibliographical review of the literature on the shear strengthening of RC beams using FRCM composites is carried out, and a database of experimental tests is developed. Analysis of the database shows that FRCM composites are able to increase the shear strength of RC beams. The effectiveness of the strengthening system appears to be influenced by parameters including the wrapping configuration, matrix compressive strength relative to the concrete compressive strength, and axial rigidity of the fibers. Different failure modes have been reported, including fracture of the fibers, detachment of the FRCM jacket (with or without concrete attached), and slippage of the fibers through the mortar. A possible interaction between the internal transverse steel reinforcement and the FRCM system has also been observed. In the second part of this paper, four design models proposed to predict the contribution of the FRCM composite to the shear strength of RC beams are assessed using the database developed. Results show that the use of the properties of the FRCM composite in Models 3 and 4 instead of the fiber mechanical characteristics does not significantly increase the accuracy of the models. A simple formulation such as that proposed by Model 1, based on the bare fiber properties, is found to be more accurate for beams with or without composite detachment.