Ultrasonic pulse velocity performance on dark red meranti strengthening timber beam using carbon fibre reinforced polymer rod, plate and steel plate

Abstract Replace New techniques for strengthening timber structures have gained significant attention due to their promising potential to improve structural performance and longevity. This study explores the effectiveness of ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) to differentiate the different type of strengthening combining Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) rod, steel rod and carbon plate in half-groove strengthened timber beams. The UPV method is employed to assess the structural integrity and effectiveness of this reinforcement technique for Dark Red Meranti (DRM) timber species. The experimental analysis compares the method of strengthening beams with those reinforced method using CFRP rod covered by CFRP plate for method (A), steel rod covered by CFRP plate method (B) and control beam as method (C) in half-groove configurations, evaluating the transmission speed of ultrasonic pulses through the timber beams. The research examines the performance of UPV for method A, B and C using sample remarks as A1, A2, B1, B2 and C. This study offering potential insights for the reliability of UPV to measure the different method of strengthening. From the experiments, it can be concluded that UPV testing is an effective non-destructive method for evaluating timber quality. It shows that method A consistently high and relatively stable compared to the other two methods, fluctuating around 1500-2000 units. While method B exhibits significant variations with noticeable dips, especially after the 3rd point, where it generally stabilizes at lower values (800-1200 units). Method C starts with lower values (near 1000), but steadily increases and stabilizes in the range of 1300-1500 units across the majority of points. Thus, CFRP reinforcement significantly improves the structural integrity of DRM beams.