In this study, the cyclic behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) beam with openings strengthened using carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) was experimentally investigated. Seven rectangular RC beams were cast and strengthened through external bonding of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets around the beam web opening with different orientations to evaluate the maximum resistance, secant stiffness, strength degradation, ductility, energy dissipation capacity and behavior of the specimens’ failure mode under cyclic load. One solid beam without an opening (i.e., control specimen) and six beams constructed with circular web openings typically located in the middle of the beam and adjacent to the supports were used in the experiments. Among the six specimens with opening configuration, two beams were unstrengthened, and the remaining four specimens were strengthened with two layers of FRP sheets with vertical and inclined scheme orientation. Numerical studies were performed on ABAQUS software, and finite element modelling analysis results were verified through experiments. Results demonstrated that the use of FRP sheets has a significant effect on the cyclic behavior of RC beams, thereby improving the maximum strength and ultimate displacement to approximately 66.67% and 77.14%, respectively. The validated finite element models serve as a numerical platform to apply beneficial parametric studies, where the effects of opening size and bond length are investigated.

This study was performed to investigate the thermal and mechanical properties of foamed concrete when supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) are utilized. Sustainable foamed concrete of 1800 kg/m3 dry density was prepared by incorporating Palm Oil Fuel Ash (POFA) ranging from 30 % to 35 % and Eggshell Powder (ESP) from 5 % to 15 % as SCMs. It was found that the combined utilization of POFA and ESP in the foamed concrete produced favorable results by reducing the thermal conductivity up to 42.68 % compared to the control sample, thus enhanced thermal insulating property of foamed concrete. This study confirmed that recycling and reusing of POFA and ESP are possible in foamed concrete which could be used for non-structural applications where thermal insulating is required.

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