Magazine of Concrete Research, 2001, 53, No.

6, December, 391±403

Structural repair of shear-deficient reinforced

concrete beams using SIFCON
M. J. Shannag , S. Barakaty and F. Jaber

Jordan University of Science and Technology; University of Sharjah

This article reports on the structural behaviour of shear-deficient reinforced concrete beams repaired with Slurry
Infiltrated Fibre Concrete (SIFCON), and proposes a simple analytical procedure for predicting the shear capacity
of the repaired beams. SIFCON is made by pre-placing short, discontinuous steel fibres into the form, followed by
infiltrating the fibres with cement-based slurry. A series of 14 shear-deficient reinforced concrete rectangular beams
was tested under third-point loading to study the effectiveness of using externally applied SIFCON jackets as a
method of increasing the beams' shear capacity. The parameters investigated included the shear span-to-effective
depth ratio (a=d), amount of longitudinal reinforcement (r) and the thickness of the jacket (t). For the range of
variables tested, the results indicate that all the beams failed in shear tests and those repaired with SIFCON
displayed an excellent shear capacity. The use of SIFCON jackets as external shear reinforcement eliminated the
brittle shear failure and increased the ultimate shear strength of the repaired beams from 25±55%. This indicates
that SIFCON may be considered as a promising material for design±maintain±rehabilitate programme of concrete
structures.

Introduction
The deterioration of many existing infrastructures in
both developed and developing countries is a major
challenge facing the construction industry today. Most
of the rehabilitation works consist of repairing old
deteriorating structures, and structures damaged by
earthquakes and natural disasters. Hence the develop-
ment of cost-effective and long-lasting repair/retrofit
methods can greatly reduce maintenance requirements,
increase life safety and increase the service life of con-
1,2
crete structures.
Use of advanced composite materials for structural
rehabilitation shows a great promise. Several research-
ers have presented successful applications of composite
3±9
materials for a variety of civil structures. With regard
to strengthening of concrete structures, applications
studied include: (a) wrapping a reinforced concrete
beam or column with a steel plate jacket or with
 Department of Civil Engineering, Jordan University of Science and
Technology, Irbid±22110, Jordan.
y
Department of Civil Engineering, University of Sharjah, PO Box
27272, Sharjah-UAE.
(MCR 898) Paper received 27 September 2000; last revised 25 April
2001; accepted 2 July 2001
fibreglass/epoxy jackets to provide needed flexural and
shear strength enhancement to allow resistance to seis-
mic loads; (b) bonding of composite plates to rein-
forced concrete and prestressed concrete beams to
improve flexural stiffness and strength; and (c) wrap-
ping of reinforced concrete columns to increase axial
10±13
capacity. Furthermore, many other researchers have
proven that adding even low volume fractions of fibres
can substantially improve shear response of structural
elements and that for a sufficiently large fibre volume
fraction, use of fibre reinforced concrete can eliminate
the need for stirrups.
Recently there has been a growing interest in the
use of high performance fibre reinforced concretes
(HPFRCs) for seismic repair and retrofit of concrete
10±15
structural elements. This is because most of the
rheological, mechanical and durability properties of
these materials are better than those of conventional
concretes. Fibre Reinforced Concrete (FRC) is a con-
crete reinforced with small diameter (1 mm), short
length (about 2 cm) randomly distributed fibres made
of steel or other tension materials. Two types of
HPFRCs are currently available on the market: (a)
slurry infiltrated fibre concrete (SIFCON); and (b)
10±12
slurry infiltrated mat concrete (SIMCON).
SIFCON is relatively a new high performance fibre
391

0024-9831 # 2001 Thomas Telford Ltd

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 Jamal Shannag et al.

reinforced concrete in which formwork moulds are
filled to capacity with fibres and the resulting fibre
12±13
network is infiltrated by a cement based slurry.
Infiltration is usually accomplished by gravity flow
aided by light vibration or pressure grouting. SIFCON
have been used successfully in applications such as
pavement overlays, bridge repair, blast resistant struc-
tures and safe vaults. Slurry Infiltrated Mat Concrete
(SIMCON) is a new high performance fibre reinforced
concrete made by infiltrating non-woven steel fibre-
10±11
mats with a specially designed cement slurry. SIM-
CON applications include high performance bridge
decks, earthquake resistant structures, nuclear waste
containment and military applications.
The main objectives of this study are: (a) to explore
the use of high performance SIFCON jackets in repair
and retrofit of shear-deficient reinforced concrete
beams; and (b) to develop an analytical procedure for
predicting the shear behaviour and response of repaired
reinforced concrete beams. The validity of this ap-
proach will be evaluated experimentally by testing a
number of reinforced concrete beams with different
shear span to effective depth ratios. Then the shear-
deficient beams will be repaired with SIFCON jackets
and retested to determine the effectiveness of the repair
method.
Experimental investigation
The experimental programme was conducted to un-
derstand the shear behaviour of reinforced concrete
beams repaired with SIFCON. A total of 14 reference
beams, 200 cm long, with a constant cross-section of
15 3 20 cm were prepared and tested in a third-point
loading, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In addition, after
the beams were initially tested to failure four of these
beams were repaired with SIFCON, as shown in Fig. 3.
The parameters investigated included shear span to ef-
fective depth ratios (a=d ) of 1´2, 2´2 and 3´0; rein-
forcement ratios (r ˆ A s =bd ) of 1´29, 1´76 and 2´28%.
The properties of the beams and their designation are
shown in Fig. 4 and Table 1. The a=d ratios were
selected to represent three different characteristic
modes of shear failure

150 150 150

25 2ø 10 25 2ø 10 25 2ø 10
150 1ø 8 150 1ø 8 150 1ø 8
3ø 12 3ø 14 3ø 16
25 25 25
25 100 25 25 100 25 25 100 25

Load Load
(P/2) (P/2)
a a
Stirrups @ 200
200

Main reinforcement
100 1800 100
2000

Fig. 1. General layout and cross-sections of reference beams (dimensions in mm)

Loading machine
P

P/2 P/2
Loading beam

Point of loading Point of loading

The tested beam
Roller
Hinge

Fig. 2. Schematic test setup

392 Magazine of Concrete Research, 2001, 53, No. 6

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 Structural repair of shear-deficient reinforced concrete beams

Load
(P/2)
a SIFCON jacket

200 25

150

25

25 150 25
100 50 Repaired 50

Fig. 3. Jacket layout of repaired beams (dimensions in mm)

Bx – y – z vide improved confinement of concrete within the con-

Main reinforcement series
a/d ratio series
Specimen number (1 or 2)
a/d ratio series Main reinforcement (ρ) series
1 represents a/d ratio of 1·2 1 represents ρ of 0·0129
2 represents a/d ratio of 2·2 2 represents ρ of 0·0176
3 represents a/d ratio of 3·0 3 represents ρ of 0·0228
stant moment region. The behaviour of reference
beams was compared with the behaviour of repaired
beams using SIFCON jackets only within the shear
span. Two identical beam specimens were tested for
each test variable. Six 10 3 20 cm compressive cylin-
ders were cast to determine compressive strength of
both concrete and SIFCON at the time of testing.

Fig. 4. Beam designation Materials

SIFCON was prepared by infiltrating pre-placed
hooked steel fibres (0´50 mm diameter, 30 mm long,
(a) Shear Mode 1, characteristic of low a=d ratios
and 1172 MPa tensile strength), with a specially de-
(e.g. deep beams), in which case a diagonal crack
signed cement based slurry. The slurry mix made had a
develops between the support and the load point,
high compressive strength (more than 70 MPa) and a
while the beam still develops its full flexural capa-
high flow (about 25 s) as measured by a standard
city.
ASTM C 939 flow cone. SIFCON slurry mix propor-
(b) Shear mode 2, characteristic of a=d ratios less than
tions were (1:0´60:0´15:0´40:0´04) by weight of com-
approximately 2´5, in which case the failure is
mercially produced Portland pozzolana cement, silica
caused by a diagonal crack that forms indepen-
sand, silica fume, water and superplasticiser respec-
dently of the flexural cracks.
tively. Fibre volume fraction of SIFCON was 8%, pro-
(c) Shear mode 3, characteristic of higher a=d ratios
viding an average strength in tension and compression
in which case the failure is caused by diagonal
of 15 and 88 MPa respectively. The concrete mix pro-
crack initiating near the tip of the flexural crack
17 portions were (1:3:2´6:0´55) by weight of cement, lime-
closest to the support.
stone coarse aggregate, limestone fine aggregate and
All beams were made with no shear reinforcement water respectively, with an average compressive
within the shear span, as shown in Fig. 1. Stirrups were strength of 27 MPa. The yield strength of the deformed
placed only within the constant moment region to allow bars used as the longitudinal reinforcement was
easier positioning of flexural reinforcement and to pro- 300 MPa.

Table 1. Properties of reference beams and test results

Beam designation a=d a (cm) r (%) A s (cm2 ) Pcr (kN) V ycr (kN) V {u (kN)
B111 1´2 20 3ö12(1´29) 3´39 18´5 50 80
B112 1´2 20 3ö14(1´76) 4´6 22 60´5 102
B113 1´2 20 3ö16(2´28) 6´0 24 75 152´3
B121 2´2 37´5 3ö12(1´29) 3´39 10 32 35
B122 2´2 37´5 3ö14(1´76) 4´6 9´5 34´5 49´6
B123 2´2 37´5 3ö16(2´28) 6´0 11 37´5 53´2
B131 3´0 50 3ö12(1´29) 3´39 7 26 26
B132 3´0 50 3ö14(1´76) 4´6 7´5 26´5 29
B133 3´0 50 3ö16(2´28) 6´0 9 27´5 32
 Load at which flexural cracks started
{ Cracking shear load of the beam
{ Ultimate shear load of the beam

Magazine of Concrete Research, 2001, 53, No. 6 393

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 Jamal Shannag et al.
Specimen casting and testing
Concrete was mixed using a 0´15 m3 capacity tilting
drum mixer for 10 min, and then poured in two layers
in 18 mm thick wood forms. The concrete was com-
pacted properly inside the forms using a poker type
vibrator. The reinforcement was separately prepared as
a cage and positioned inside forms with proper spacers
prior to concrete casting. After the casting was com-
pleted, wet burlap was placed on top of the beams. The
concrete beams were removed from their forms 48 h
after casting and were stored in an open environment
for three weeks. Six concrete cylinders were prepared
for each casting and cured in a similar manner as the
concrete beams.
The SIFCON jackets were prepared using a specially
designed wooden formwork as shown in Fig. 5. The
formwork was filled to capacity with steel fibres and
then infiltrated with high strength cement based slurry.
Special care was taken to ensure random and homoge-
neous distribution of the fibres inside the formwork.
Proper sealing of the formwork prior to slurry infiltra-
tion was an essential step. The formwork was removed
from the repaired beam 48 h after casting and each
beam was moist cured for a period of three weeks. Six
10 3 20 cm cylinders were cast to determine compres-
sive strength of SIFCON at the time of testing.
All beams were tested in third-point bending using a
hydraulic testing machine of 2000 kN capacity under a
stroke control of 0´02 mm/s. A photo of a typical beam
during testing is shown in Fig. 6. Prior to repair the
reference beams were damaged to a predetermined
level, i.e. until the appearance of the first shear-flexure
crack. Of the 14 beams tested, four were chosen for
repair by applying an external SIFCON jacket over the
shear span, because a shear failure, and not a flexural
failure, was desired. The repaired beams were retested
to failure in a way similar to reference beams. Load,
load-point displacement, midspan displacement and
curvature were measured using linear variable differen-
tial transducers (LVDTs) as shown in Fig. 6.The LVDTs
Fig. 5. The mould used to cast the SIFCON jacket
394
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Fig. 6. Typical beam during testing
were connected to a data acquisition system that re-
corded all load and displacement data for the entire
range of testing. Electrical strain gauges were also
glued at the middle of main reinforcement to measure
the strain in the longitudinal steel. During testing, all
cracks and the corresponding load levels were marked
on the concrete beams and the SIFCON jackets.
Test results and discussion
The concrete rectangular beams were designed to
18
meet the specification of the ACI building code. The
selection of the internal flexural reinforcement satisfied
the ACI code's ductility requirement in that the percent-
age of reinforcing steel (r) was between the upper and
lower bounds for the under-reinforced beams (0:005 ,
r , 0:0325). Furthermore the experimental study cov-
ered a second major test parameter, the ratio a=d. This
ratio was varied between 1´2 and 3´0 to represent differ-
17
ent modes of shear failure.
Behaviour of reference beams
In all reference beams, flexural cracks started first in
the constant moment region. The load at which these
cracks formed depended on the steel ratio (r) of the
beam. As the load on the beams with a=d ratio of 3´0
increased, flexural cracks formed in the shear span
followed by a diagonal tension crack that suddenly
formed near the tip of the flexural cracks leading to a
diagonal tension failure. However, for beams with a=d
ratio 2´2, the mode of failure was a shear compression
one. In this mode of failure, a sudden diagonal crack
formed independently of flexural cracks as the load on
the beams increased. Beams with a=d ratio of 1´2
failed in a ductile flexural mode. A photo of typical
failure patterns of the reference beams in shown in
Fig. 7.
The cracking load corresponding to the occurrence
of the first crack in reference beams, the cracking shear
Magazine of Concrete Research, 2001, 53, No. 6
 Structural repair of shear-deficient reinforced concrete beams

strength (Vc r ) and the ultimate shear strength (Vu ) are

shown in Table 1.
For most of the reference beams tested, the load±
deflection and moment±curvature curves have a pre-
cracking portion that approximates a straight line as
shown in Figs 8±11. At cracking, the slope of the curve
changes indicating a reduction in the stiffness of the
beams. It is also observed that as the steel reinforce-
ment ratio increases for the beams with same a=d ratio
the ultimate shear strength increases, while for the
beams with same steel ratio r the cracking and ultimate
shear strengths decrease with the increase in a=d ratio.
This behaviour can be related to the increase of the
flexural stresses and the decrease in the arch rib action
Fig. 7. Typical failure pattern of reference beams
with the increase of the a=d ratio.

160

B113
140

B112
120

100
Load: kN

80 B111

60

40 a/d = 1·2
0·0129 for B111
ρ = 0·0176 for B112
0·0228 for B113
20

0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Deflection: mm
(a)

35

30 B113

25 B112
Moment: kNm

20

B111
15

10 a/d = 1·2
0·0129 for B111
5 ρ = 0·0176 for B112
0·0228 for B113

0
0 0·00005 0·0001 0·00015 0·0002 0·00025 0·0003 0·00035 0·0004
Curvature: 1/cm
(b)

Fig. 8. The effect of main reinforcement ratio on response and shear strength of beams with a=d ratio of 1´2:
(a) load±deflection curve; (b) moment±curvature curve
Magazine of Concrete Research, 2001, 53, No. 6 395

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 Jamal Shannag et al.

60

50

B122
40
B123
B121
Load: kN
30

20
a/d = 2·2
0·0129 for B121
10 ρ = 0·0176 for B122
0·0228 for B123

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Deflection: mm
(a)

25

20 B123

B122
Moment: kNm

15 B121

10

a/d = 2·2
0·0129 for B121
5 ρ = 0·0176 for B122
0·0228 for B123

0
0 0·00002 0·00004 0·00006 0·00008 0·0001 0·00012 0·00014
Curvature: 1/cm
(b)

Fig. 9. The effect of main reinforcement ratio on response and shear strength of beams with a=d ratio of 2´2:
(a) load±deflection curve; (b) moment±curvature curve

Behaviour of repaired beams at significantly higher loads than reference beams.

Four of the reference beams were repaired with SIF-
CON jacket after being tested to failure in the labora-
tory. These beams were chosen to represent two a=d
ratios, 2´2 and 3´0, because the failure modes asso-
ciated with these ratios were more catastrophic. For the
beams with a=d ratio of 1´2, the reference beams
showed a ductile response before failure. After the
formation of diagonal cracks, the stresses in the beam
were redistributed and thus allowed the beam to reach
its full flexural strength. Therefore the repairing pro-
cess of such beams has no significant effect on their
behaviour.
All the reference beams that failed in shear and were
then externally reinforced with SIFCON jackets failed
396
Furthermore, all repaired beams developed their full
flexural strength and exhibited a ductile flexural failure
mode. It seems that their full flexural capacity is less
than the estimated jacket-enhanced shear capacity. Prior
to failure hairline cracks were observed on the SIFCON
jackets which were followed by the formation of a
major crack as shown in Fig. 16. The experimental
results for these beams are presented in Table 2. The
numerical values listed in Table 2 of the ultimate
strengths and the corresponding percentage increase in
the shear strength of the repaired beams, indicated that
the performance of the shear-deficient beams is en-
hanced due to the use of composite SIFCON jackets.
All the beams tested displayed excellent shear behav-
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 Structural repair of shear-deficient reinforced concrete beams

70

60 B133

B132
50

B131
40
Load: kN

30

20 a/d = 3·0
0·0129 for B131
ρ = 0·0176 for B132
10 0·0228 for B133

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Deflection: mm
(a)

18

16 B133

14
B132

12
B131
Moment: kNm

10

6
a/d = 3·0
4 0·0129 for B131
ρ = 0·0176 for B132
2 0·0228 for B133

0
0 0·00002 0·00004 0·00006 0·00008 0·0001 0·00012 0·00014
Curvature: 1/cm
(b)

Fig. 10. The effect of main reinforcement ratio on response and shear strength of beams with a=d ratio of 3´0:
(a) load±deflection curve; (b) moment±curvature curve

iour. An increase in ultimate shear strength of 25±55%
is achieved and the catastrophic shear mode of failure
is eliminated.
It can be seen that the load displacement and mo-
ment curvature curves for the repaired beams shown in
Figs 12±15 consist of a pre-cracking straight segment
and a change in slope of the curves after beam crack-
ing. The post-cracking segments in some curves were
flat, in others it sloped downward indicating a gradual
loss in stiffness.
Shear strength provided by the HPFRC jacket
The truss model was used to study the shear capacity
provided by SIFCON jacket. SIFCON jacket will be
Magazine of Concrete Research, 2001, 53, No. 6
assumed to behave as an external stirrup with two legs
that act perpendicularly to the compression strut, the
main reinforcement will act as the tension lower chord,
the uncracked compression zone of concrete will act as
the upper compression chord and the concrete struts
formed between the diagonal cracks will act as the
diagonal compressive member in the truss. These diag-
onals will push apart the lower and upper chord of the
truss, which represent the bottom and the top of the
beam. The jacket will be assumed to act as the vertical
members in the truss that pull the upper and lower
chord of the truss together which induced tensile stres-
ses in the jacket.
Assuming the angle of inclination of the cracks
397

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 Jamal Shannag et al.

160

B113
140

120

100
Load: kN

80

60
B123

40
ρ = 0·0228
1·2 for B113
B133
20 a/d = 2·2 for B123
3·0 for B133

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Deflection: mm
(a)

35

30
B113
25
Moment: kNm

20

15 B123
B133
10 ρ = 0·0228
1·2 for B113
a/d = 2·2 for B123
5
3·0 for B133

0
0 0·00002 0·00004 0·00006 0·00008 0·0001 0·00012 0·00014 0·00016 0·00018
Curvature: 1/cm
(b)

Fig. 11. The effect of shear span to effective ratio ( a=d) on the response of beams with a main reinforcement ratio of 0´0228:
(a) load±deflection response; (b) moment±curvature response

Table 2. A comparison between reference and repaired beams

Beam Thickness of the Reference beam (kN) Repaired beam (kN) % increase in
jacket (cm) shear strenght
Pcr Vcr Vu Pcr V y cr Vu
B121 2´5 10 32 35 12´5 45 45 30
B223 2´5 11 37´5 37´5 12´5 45 55 47
B132 2´5 7´5 26´5 29 11´5 40 45 55
B133 2´0 9 27´5 32 10 30 40 25
{Load at which hairline cracks started in SIFCON jacket

398 Magazine of Concrete Research, 2001, 53, No. 6

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 Structural repair of shear-deficient reinforced concrete beams

50

45 Reference beam
Repaired beam
40

35

30
Load: kN

25

20

15 B121
a/d = 2·2
10 ρ = 0·0129
thickness of jacket = 2·5 cm
5

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Deflection: mm
(a)

18

16

14

12
Moment: kNm

10

6 B121
Reference beam
a/d = 2·2
4 Repaired beam ρ = 0·0129
thickness of jacket = 2·5 cm
2

0
0 0·00005 0·0001 0·00015 0·0002 0·00025 0·0003 0·00035 0·0004 0·00045 0·0005
Curvature: 1/cm
(b)

Fig. 12. Typical behaviour of repaired and reference beams with a=d of 2´2 and r of 0´0129:
(a) load±deflection curve; (b) moment±curvature curve

equal to è, then the horizontal projection of the diag- and V s J the additional shear capacity provided by the
onal cracks will be equal to d 3 cot è, where d is the SIFCON jacket.
effective depth of the beam. Accordingly, the additional  
1 p Vu d
shear capacity provided by the jacket will be given by Vc ˆ f c9 ‡ 120r bd (3)
7 Mu
the following equation
where f c9 is the compressive strength (MPa); r the long-
V SJ ˆ 2 3 t SJ 3 d 3 cot è 3 ó SJ (1) itudinal reinforcement ratio; V u , M u are the ultimate
shear and ultimate bending moment respectively taken
where t SJ is the thickness of the SIFCON jacket; d the
at the critical section (i.e. at d=2) from the face of the
effective depth of the beam; è the angle of inclination
support; and b the width of the beam.
of diagonal crack; and óSJ the tensile strength provided 16
Using the model developed by Naaman, for pre-
by the SIFCON jacket.
dicting the tensile strength of SIFCON and assuming a
Then, the total shear capacity of beam with SIFCON
factor of safety of 0´50 to account for variation in
jacket is given by
material strength and for the fact that SIFCON is usual-
V n ˆ V c ‡ V SJ (2) ly subjected to biaxial state of stress, then the addi-
tional shear strength provided by the jacket Vs J can be
18
where V c is the shear strength provided by concrete; defined as
Magazine of Concrete Research, 2001, 53, No. 6 399

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 Jamal Shannag et al.

60
Reference beam
Repaired beam
50

40

Load: kN
30

20 B223
a/d = 2·2
ρ = 0·0228
10 thickness of jacket = 2·5 cm

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Deflection: mm
(a)

25

Reference beam
Repaired beam
20
Moment: kNm

15

10

B223
a/d = 2·2
5
ρ = 0·0228
thickness of jacket = 2·5 cm

0
0 0·00002 0·00004 0·00006 0·00008 0·0001 0·00012 0·00014
Curvature: 1/cm
(b)

Fig. 13. Typical behaviour of repaired and reference beams with a=d of 2´2 and r of 0´0228:
(a) load±deflection curve; (b) moment±curvature curve

l : p cracks is normally assumed at 458 for non-prestressed

VSJ ˆ Vf 3 tSJ 3 d 3 cot è
df
where Vf is the fibre volume fraction; l=d f the aspect
ratio (fibre length/fibre diameter); f o the compressive
strength of the slurry; and è the angle of inclination of
diagonal crack.
By neglecting the shear strength provided by the
reinforced concrete because the beam has failed in
shear before the repairing process, then the shear
strength of the repaired beam will come from the con-
tribution of the SIFCON jacket only.
The crack inclination must be assumed or deter-
mined from non-linear analysis. The angle of inclined
400
(0 48 ‡ 0:22 f o ) (4)
concrete members. However this angle could be up to
58 flatter, because of a reduction of Young's Modulus
19
caused by microcracking.
Using the above model with 458 crack inclination, a
2´5 cm thick SIFCON jacket, 8% volume fraction of
steel fibres and a slurry with a compressive strength of
about 60 MPa, the shear strength of the repaired beam
is expected to be about 40 kN. The maximum shear
force that the repaired beam sustained before the failure
of the jacket was about 55 kN in B223 (a=d ˆ 2:2,
r ˆ 0:0228). For other repaired beams such as B132
(a=d ˆ 3:0, r ˆ 0:0176) the maximum shear force was
about 45 kN with only hairline cracks appearing in the
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 Structural repair of shear-deficient reinforced concrete beams

50

45

40

Reference beam
35
Repaired beam

30
Load: kN

25

20

15
B132
10 a/d = 3·0
ρ = 0·0176
thickness of jacket = 2·5 cm
5

0
0 5 10 15 20
Deflection: mm
(a)

25

20
Reference beam
Repaired beam
Moment: kNm

15

10

B132
a/d = 3·0
5 ρ = 0·0176
thickness of jacket = 2·5 cm

0
0 0·0001 0·0002 0·0003 0·0004 0·0005 0·0006 0·0007 0·0008
Curvature: 1/cm
(b)

Fig. 14. Typical behaviour of repaired and reference beams with a=d of 3´0 and r of 0´0176:
(a) load±deflection curve; (b) moment±curvature curve

SIFCON jacket, which indicates that the jacket can

sustain more loads. Table 3 presents a comparison be-
tween the expected and the achieved shear strengths of
the repaired beams tested in this article. The results
listed in the table indicate that within the range of loads
reached in this investigation, the difference between the
predicted shear strength and the actual strength ach-
ieved in the laboratory ranged from 12±18%. This
demonstrates that the jacketed portion of the beam
behaved as predicted by the truss analogy model used
in this investigation. However, it is important to point
out that more experimental data on repaired beams
should be obtained to fully verify the proposed design
procedure before it could be implemented in practice.
Magazine of Concrete Research, 2001, 53, No. 6
Conclusions
This investigation indicates that externally applied
slurry infiltrated steel fibre reinforced concrete (SIF-
CON) can be used to enhance the shear capacity of
shear deficient reinforced concrete beams. For the
beams tested in this study, those repaired with 25 mm
thick SIFCON jacket, prevented brittle shear failure
and increased the ultimate shear strength from 25 to
55%.
A simple analytical procedure has been presented
that can be used to approximate the shear-carrying
capacity of SIFCON jacketed beams. This proce-
dure may serve as a useful tool for the design of
401

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 Jamal Shannag et al.

45

40 Reference beam
Repaired beam
35

30

Load: kN
25

20

15
B233
10 a/d = 3·0
ρ = 0·0228
thickness of jacket = 2·0 cm
5

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Deflection: mm
(a)

25

Reference beam
20 Repaired beam
Moment: kNm

15

10

B233
a/d = 3·0
5 ρ = 0·0228
thickness of jacket = 2·0 cm

0
0 0·00002 0·00004 0·00006 0·00008 0·0001 0·00012
Curvature: 1/cm
(b)

Fig. 15. Typical behaviour of repaired and reference beams with a=d of 3´0 and r of 0´0228:
(a) load±deflection curve; (b) moment±curvature curve

Table 3. Comparison between the expected and the achieved

shear strength of repaired beams
Beam Vf (%) Thickness of the Expected Achieved
jacket (cm) strength (kN) strength (kN)
B121 8 2´5 45 45
B223 8 2´5 45 55
B132 8 2´5 45 45
B133 8 2´0 35 40

Fig. 16. Typical failure pattern of repaired beams

402 Magazine of Concrete Research, 2001, 53, No. 6

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 Structural repair of shear-deficient reinforced concrete beams
SIFCON-based rehabilitation. However, more tests on
beams with different geometries and concrete strengths
should be conducted to verify the proposed design
procedure.
Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the technical and financial
support provided by Jordan University of Science and
Technology. The steel fibres used in this investigation
were provided by Bekaert Company, Belgium.
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Discussion contributions on this paper should reach the editor by
1 May 2002
403