The use of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) as an effective approach for strengthening reinforced concrete members has developed extensively in recent years. The present study investigates the shear behaviour, including the load-carrying capacity and mode of failure, of reinforced concrete corbels strengthened with CFRP fabrics. The experimental program consisted of five full-scale concrete corbels subjected to a patch load with a shear span to depth ratio equal to 0.8. The specimens were designed to fail in shear. Test results indicated that strengthening of RC corbels with CFRP slightly enhanced the shear behaviour of the test specimens. The enhancement in the load-carrying capacity in shear ranged from 7% to 13%. The results were compared with NLFEA predictions. The comparison revealed that the NLFEA potential in predicting the load-deflection response of the strengthened corbels. The NLFEA predictions were conservative.

Keywords: Shear, Strengthening, RC Corbels, NLFEA, CFRP fabrics