Investigation of Reinforced Concrete Slabs Strengthened with Shear-Connected Mesh Jacketing

Abstract

This study investigates the effectiveness of an integrated repair technique for corroded reinforced concrete (RC) slabs using mechanical surface preparation, steel dowels, supplementary reinforcement mesh, and shotcrete jacketing. Six standard-scale RC slab specimens were tested under static two-point loading: one uncorroded control slab (S01); two corroded unrepaired slabs with steel mass losses of 10.6% (S03) and 16.2% (S02); two repaired slabs at the same corrosion levels (S06 and S05); and one uncorroded slab strengthened with compression-zone jacketing (S04). The results showed that corrosion reduced the peak load by about 14% and resulted in losses in stiffness and ductility. In contrast, the proposed repair technique not only restored the original capacity but also increased the peak load by 71–75% compared with the control slab. Although the repaired specimens exhibited higher initial stiffness, they reached their maximum load at smaller deflections, indicating reduced ductility. Compression-zone strengthening improved the peak load by 30% and enhanced post-peak behavior. No interface debonding was observed, demonstrating effective composite action, and confirming the suitability of the proposed system for rehabilitating corrosion-damaged RC slabs.