Strengthening of steel-reinforced concrete structural elements by externally bonded FRP sheets and evaluation of their load carrying capacity to face changed load service conditions

The paper has proposed a limit analysis procedure for a preliminary design of RC elements strengthened by externally bonded FRP sheets. The procedure, based on a multi-yield-criteria limit analysis approach, has led to a reliable prediction of peak loads and failure modes of the analyzed elements (slabs) by simultaneously considering the limit state of the constituent materials, so resulting very useful in many applications of engineering interest. The attention has been focused on hospital applications in which increment of service loads or realization of openings can weaken some structural elements that have been strengthened by FRP sheets.