What the study found
Carbon textile-reinforced concrete, or TRC, improved the flexural performance of an aged, pre-cracked reinforced concrete bridge slab-beam that was strengthened under sustained load.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that the findings show TRC can be effective for rehabilitating deteriorated bridge members under realistic in-service repair conditions.
What the researchers tested
The study examined a 30-year-old slab-beam taken from the Ben Cho Bridge and combined experiments with numerical simulation. During strengthening, the beam was kept under sustained service load, and the simulations used ATENA finite element software.
What worked and what didn't
The strengthened beam reached a 24.8% higher flexural capacity than the unstrengthened specimen. Crack widths and spacing were reduced to about one-third to one-half of those in the control beam, and the simulations closely matched the load-deflection response, with ultimate load predictions within 2.5–3.5% of the experimental values. The abstract also states that steel reinforcement reached about 16‰ strain and that the carbon textiles exceeded the 12‰ design limit in ACI 549.4 R-20.
What to keep in mind
The available summary describes one aged bridge slab-beam and does not report broader limits beyond that case. Other limitations are not described in the abstract.
Key points
- Aged, pre-cracked bridge slab-beam was strengthened with carbon textile-reinforced concrete under sustained load.
- Flexural capacity increased by 24.8% compared with the unstrengthened specimen.
- Crack widths and spacing were reduced to roughly one-third to one-half of the control beam's values.
- Finite element simulations with ATENA predicted ultimate loads within 2.5–3.5% of the test results.
- Steel reinforcement reached about 16‰ strain, and the carbon textiles exceeded the 12‰ ACI 549.4 R-20 design limit.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- TRC improved flexural capacity of an aged cracked bridge slab-beam
- Authors:
- Huy Cuong Nguyen, Dang Quang Ngo, Văn Hiệp Vũ, Thi Hoai Ho, Dang Dung Le
- Institutions:
- University of Transport and Communications
- Publication date:
- 2026-04-02
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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