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<p>This paper presents the experimental behaviour of two reinforced concrete T-beams strengthened in shear with CFRP. The beams are extracted from an important building of the mid-'30s in Rome. The goal of this research is to evaluate the shear strength of the retrofitted beams with the simultaneous occurrence of a negative bending moment. The tests are performed at the Experimental Laboratory of the Structural Department of the University “Roma Tre”. In the meantime the two beams are modelled with the software ATENA in order to perform numerical simulations of the tests. The numerical results seem to be in good agreement with the experimental data in terms of load– displacement response, strain state, crack pattern and failure mode.</p>

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In the structural safety assessment process of existing structures, knowledge of the mechanical properties of the materials is key. Different experimental activities carried out on materials extracted from existing reinforced concrete buildings show a high strength variability, especially concrete. In the past, the lack of standardized quality control for materials and workmanship caused nonuniform and homogeneous properties within the same structure. The most accurate and reliable experimental technique consists of performing direct tests on the materials, but these are considerably expensive and invasive. In this paper, alternative indirect methods that estimate material properties by correlating different physical measures were proved to reduce invasive inspections on existing buildings and infrastructures, especially in built heritage. A complete experimental activity concerning destructive and nondestructive tests was conducted on elements (four portions of a column and a beam portion) removed from an Italian school building built in 1940. Destructive and nondestructive methods were compared and appropriate correlation laws developed to predict the main mechanical properties of the studied material. Reliable correlations were identified considering the pull-out test, Sonic–Rebound (SonReb) combined method and ultrasonic pulse velocities (UPVs). The latter were mapped by tomography, which highlighted the compression properties of concrete in the different structural sections.