Deformation of continuous reinforced concrete beams during patch repair

John Cairns, Heriot Watt University, UK 
Eoin Coakley, Conventry University, UK 

This paper describes an experimental and numerical investigation examining the effect of reinforcement exposure during the patch repair process on the behaviour of continuous beams. Particular attention is paid to moment transfer and change in strain patterns during concrete breakout. The test programme embraced a range of parameters including the length and position of breakout and a variety of reinforcement arrangements. Moment transfer during concrete breakout was monitored to assess whether breakout at one location would cause overstressing in other parts of the structure. Results from tests and numerical analysis show increases in section deformations away from the breakout were small when compared to those within the breakout length. It is surmised that there is little danger of overstraining in locations away from the breakout zone while breakout does not extend past a point of contraflexure.