FRP-strengthening of Curved Concrete Beams under Combined Loadings

One of the most cost-effective, sustainable techniques of strengthening reinforced concrete (RC) beams is adhesively bonding fibre reinforced polymer composites (FRP) to their surfaces. This technique has been widely and successfully applied to straight beams against bending and shear assuming two-dimensional behaviour. However, many curved RC beams (CRCB) in practice (for example, skyways, overpasses, canopies and motorways) are under combined loadings of bending, shear and torsion, and must be studied in three-dimensions. This makes analysis and design of CRCB much more challenging and complicated than straight ones. To date, FRP-strengthening of CRCB under such loadings has hardly been investigated, and guidelines for analysis and design are completely missing.

This project aims at a full understanding of the structural behaviour of FRP-strengthened curved RC beams under complicated loading conditions, by analytical derivations, lab experiments and advanced numerical simulations. Analysis and design guidelines for practical design of strengthening will be proposed.

About the Host Centre:
The Centre for Low Impact Building’s (CLIB) aims to be an academic and industry partner of choice in delivering real solutions to close the design versus in-use performance gap in the built environment.

CLIB staff enjoy a vibrant environment of collaboration across academic disciplines, other universities, practitioners and industry to ensure that our research has proven impact on the global challenge for sustainability of the built environment.

Candidate Specification:
Successful applicants will have:

• A minimum of a 2:1 first degree in a relevant discipline/subject area with a minimum 60% mark in the Project element or equivalent with a minimum 60% overall module average, or
• A Masters Degree in a relevant subject area will be considered as an equivalent. The Masters must have been attained with overall marks at merit level (60%). In addition, the dissertation or equivalent element in the Masters must also have been attained with a mark at merit level (60%).
• The potential to engage in innovative research and to complete the PhD within a prescribed period of study
• Language proficiency (IELTS overall minimum score of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in each component).

Application Procedure:
Application information can be found in our how to apply section. Before completing the application please contact Prof James Yang [Email Address Removed] (Hyperlink to new email to PI email address and cc’ing [Email Address Removed]) for an initial informal discussion about the opportunity.

Start date: September 2017 or January 2018
Duration of Study: Full-Time – three years six months fixed term

Application deadline:
This opportunity will only remain open until a suitable candidate is identified- early application is therefore advised. Standard University research application closing dates apply http://www.coventry.ac.uk/research/research-students/application-dates/