Rehabilitation and Strengthening Techniques for Reinforced Concrete

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are excited to announce a topic of MDPI focused on Rehabilitation and Strengthening Techniques for Reinforced Concrete. Reinforced concrete structures, while durable, are susceptible to deterioration over time due to various factors such as aging, environmental exposure, and overloading. This topic aims to gather innovative research and practical applications that address these challenges. We invite submissions on a wide range of topics, including but not limited to the following:

• Material and structural assessment of deteriorating reinforced concrete elements;
• Advanced repair techniques using novel materials and methods;
• Strengthening strategies for improving the load-carrying capacity and durability of existing structures;
• Seismic retrofitting of reinforced concrete buildings;
• Durability enhancement through protective coatings and treatments;
• Life-cycle assessment of rehabilitation and strengthening interventions.

By bringing together the expertise of researchers, engineers, and practitioners from around the world, we aim to promote the development of sustainable and effective solutions for the rehabilitation and strengthening of reinforced concrete structures.

Prof. Dr. Firas Al Mahmoud
Prof. Dr. George Wardeh
Topic Editors

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Buildings buildings	3.1	4.4	2011	14.9 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Construction Materials constrmater	-	3.1	2021	18.6 Days	CHF 1200	Submit
Crystals crystals	2.4	5.0	2011	12.7 Days	CHF 2100	Submit
Materials materials	3.2	6.4	2008	15.2 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Solids solids	2.4	4.5	2020	22.6 Days	CHF 1200	Submit
Infrastructures infrastructures	2.9	6.0	2016	15.7 Days	CHF 1800	Submit
CivilEng civileng	2.0	4.0	2020	27 Days	CHF 1400	Submit

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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All Buildings Construction Materials Crystals Materials Solids Infrastructures CivilEng

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20 pages, 4716 KB  

Open AccessArticle

Experimental Study of the Effectiveness of Strengthening Reinforced Concrete Slabs with Thermally Prestressed Reinforcement

by Yannik Schwarz, David Sanio and Peter Mark

CivilEng 2025, 6(3), 49; https://doi.org/10.3390/civileng6030049 (registering DOI) - 13 Sep 2025

Abstract

Conventional strengthening measures for existing structures are usually not effective for the self-weight, which accounts for around 70% of the total load in reinforced concrete structures. Therefore, their effect on the overall load-bearing capacity is low. A self-weight-effective alternative for flexural strengthening is [...] Read more.

Conventional strengthening measures for existing structures are usually not effective for the self-weight, which accounts for around 70% of the total load in reinforced concrete structures. Therefore, their effect on the overall load-bearing capacity is low. A self-weight-effective alternative for flexural strengthening is the thermal prestressing of additional reinforcement installed on the structure. In this method, reinforcing bars are slotted into the tensile zone, embedded in filler material, and tempered from the outside. They are thermally stretched, and once cooling starts, the bond with the hardened filler prevents re-deformation. The induced prestressing force counteracts dead loads and relieves the tensile zone, making the additional bars effective for the self-weight. In this paper, the effectiveness of the strengthening method is experimentally investigated in the serviceability and the ultimate limit states. Experiments involve strengthening a reinforced concrete beam under load by a thermally prestressed additional bar. Moreover, two reference tests are made to evaluate the method. An unstrengthened beam characterizes the lower capacity limit. Another beam with the same reinforcement amount as the strengthened one, but completely installed at casting, serves as the upper benchmark. All beams are loaded until bending failure. The strengthening method is assessed by means of the load-bearing behavior, deflection, crack development, and the strains in the initial as well as the added reinforcement. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the strengthening method. The thermally prestressed bar achieves an effective pre-strain of approximately. 0.4‰ by heating at about 70 °C. The induced prestressing force and associated compression reduce tensile cracks by approx. 45% and increase stiffness. The strengthened beam reaches the maximum load of the upper benchmark, but with about 33% less deflection. The filler, which also expands thermally, generates an additional prestressing force that is effective up to about 20% of the load capacity. Beyond this, the filler begins to crack and its effect decreases, but the pre-strain in the reinforcing bar remains until maximum load. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Rehabilitation and Strengthening Techniques for Reinforced Concrete)

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12 pages, 1843 KB  

Open AccessArticle

Case Study of PLC Synchronous Lifting Technology in Concrete Column Reinforcement: Design, Construction, and Monitoring

by Baozhong Wang, Sijia Qian, Sabiu Muhammad, Mengqi Xu, Zhengke Shao, Na Li and Erlu Wu

Buildings 2025, 15(17), 3003; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15173003 - 24 Aug 2025

Viewed by 397

Abstract

Traditional support methods, such as full-frame scaffolding, often pose significant safety risks during the replacement of defective concrete. In contrast, the application of programmable logic controller (PLC) synchronous jacking technology combined with an encircling beam is an innovative approach to concrete replacement. However, [...] Read more.

Traditional support methods, such as full-frame scaffolding, often pose significant safety risks during the replacement of defective concrete. In contrast, the application of programmable logic controller (PLC) synchronous jacking technology combined with an encircling beam is an innovative approach to concrete replacement. However, there is currently a lack of effective theoretical guidance for determining its design parameters, and there are also few measured data available to verify its effectiveness. To address this issue, this study investigates a concrete structure in which it was discovered, during the topping-out phase, that the compressive strength of several load-bearing columns did not meet the design specifications. Through structural analysis and load calculations, a reinforcement scheme utilizing the synchronous jacking system in conjunction with an encircling beam was proposed to replace the defective concrete. The monitoring of the settlement and deformation during the replacement process revealed a minimal settlement of 0.45 mm, which is approximately 23% of the predefined warning threshold. The results demonstrate that the integration of the synchronous jacking system with an encircling beam offers a safe and reliable solution, thus providing an effective approach to addressing similar challenges in concrete structural reinforcement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Rehabilitation and Strengthening Techniques for Reinforced Concrete)

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22 pages, 8767 KB  

Open AccessArticle

Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Shear Performance of RC Deep Beams Strengthened with Engineered Cementitious Composites

by Hamsavathi Kannan, Sathish Kumar Veerappan and Madappa V. R. Sivasubramanian

Constr. Mater. 2025, 5(3), 51; https://doi.org/10.3390/constrmater5030051 - 31 Jul 2025

Viewed by 315

Abstract

Reinforced concrete (RC) deep beams constructed with low-strength concrete are susceptible to sudden splitting failures in the strut region due to shear–compression stresses. To mitigate this vulnerability, various strengthening techniques, including steel plates, fiber-reinforced polymer sheets, and cementitious composites, have been explored to [...] Read more.

Reinforced concrete (RC) deep beams constructed with low-strength concrete are susceptible to sudden splitting failures in the strut region due to shear–compression stresses. To mitigate this vulnerability, various strengthening techniques, including steel plates, fiber-reinforced polymer sheets, and cementitious composites, have been explored to confine the strut area. This study investigates the structural performance of RC deep beams with low-strength concrete, strengthened externally using an Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC) layer. To ensure effective confinement and uniform shear distribution, shear reinforcement was provided at equal intervals with configurations of zero, one, and two vertical shear reinforcements. Four-point bending tests revealed that the ECC layer significantly enhanced the shear capacity, increasing load-carrying capacity by 51.6%, 54.7%, and 46.7% for beams with zero, one, and two shear reinforcements, respectively. Failure analysis through non-linear finite element modeling corroborated experimental observations, confirming shear–compression failure characterized by damage in the concrete struts. The strut-and-tie method, modified to incorporate the tensile strength of ECC and shear reinforcement actual stress values taken from the FE analysis, was used to predict the shear capacity. The predicted values were within 10% of the experimental results, underscoring the reliability of the analytical approach. Overall, this study demonstrates the effectiveness of ECC in improving shear performance and mitigating strut failure in RC deep beams made with low-strength concrete. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Rehabilitation and Strengthening Techniques for Reinforced Concrete)

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