Abstract
The energy absorption capacity of reinforced concrete (RC) elements is one of the crucial structural properties that define their seismic resistance. The use of steel bars for the strengthening or retrofitting of RC beams in view of their superior mechanical behaviour, is predominantly motivated by their energy absorption capacity. This paper presents the strengthening of reinforced concrete by employing the near-surface mounted (NSM) technique using steel bars subjected to flexural loads. Rectangular strengthened RC beams were experimentally and analytically studied. Four-point bending tests were performed up to failure, in which the load, mid-span deflection, strains and failure mode were recorded. The RC beams were strengthened with different ratios of the NSM reinforcement. The test results revealed that the energy absorption capacity with the NSM ductile materials increase by up to 80% compared with the control beam. In addition, the steel bars showed a significant increase of the ultimate load by up to 70%. The results predicted on the basis of analytical models show good agreement with the experimental results.