Flexural strengthening of RC beams using natural sisal and artificial carbon and glass fabric reinforced composite system

Sisal fabric reinforced polymer composite system was developed and its tensile and flexural behaviour was characterized and compared with that of carbon and glass fabric reinforced polymer composite. In the present work the efficacy of sisal fabric reinforced polymer composite (SFRP) was compared to carbon fabric reinforced polymer composite (CFRP) and glass fabric reinforced polymer composite (GFRP), by utilizing all the fabric composites for the flexural strengthening of reinforced concrete (RC) beams. The work carried out includes the study of failure modes, flexural strengthening effect on ultimate load carrying capacity and load deflection behaviour of RC beams bonded externally with SFRP, CFRP and GFRP, wrapped as U wraps in single layer, along entire length of the beam in two different wrapping techniques, i.e. full wrapping and strip wrapping technique. SFRC strengthening of RC beams showed good increase in its flexural strength and improvement in load deflection behaviour similar to CFRP and GFRP strengthening. The RC beam strengthened by SFRC showed highest amount of ductility, and also delayed the formation of cracks, without rupture failure of FRP as in the case of CFRP strengthened beams and also without debonding failure of FRP as in the case of GFRP strengthened beams. Therefore sisal fabric reinforced polymer composite system, with its various environmental benefits, being a natural fibre, could be used as alternate fabric reinforcement in FRP, for flexural strengthening of RC beams effectively.