Experimental Study of the Flexural Strengthening of Steel Plates with Bonded Hybrid Flax/Carbon Composite Patches
M. A. Tazi (CESILineact)
M. Jebli (CESILineact)
S. Teixeira de Freitas (TU Delft - Group Teixeira De Freitas, Idmec)
P. Casari (GeMNantes University, Saint-Nazaire)
S. de Barros (TU Delft - Structural Integrity & Composites)
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Abstract
Adhesive bonding of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) patches is increasingly used to strengthen steel structures. While carbon FRP (CFRP) and epoxy adhesives are the primary materials in industrial applications, this study explores hybrid Carbon/Flax FRP as an alternative for reinforcing steel plates under flexural loading. Four composite layups were tested: F5 (flax), C5 (carbon), CFC, and FC (carbon/flax hybrids). These patches were bonded to steel plates using three adhesives: a flexible and ductile silane-modified polymer (SMP-FD), a medium flexibility-ductility acrylate (ACR-MFD), and a rigid and brittle epoxy (EP-RB), representing a wide range of adhesive properties. Three-point bending tests were conducted to evaluate mechanical performance compared to unreinforced steel plates. Results demonstrated that composite patch bonding significantly enhances load-bearing capacity. The EP-RB adhesive provided the highest reinforcement, followed by ACR-MFD and SMP-FD. Hybrid FC and CFC configurations achieved reinforcement comparable to or greater than pure carbon (C5), highlighting the potential of hybrid designs for structural applications.