Analyzing Flexural Integrity Enhancement in Continuous Reinforced Concrete Beams Using NSM-BFRP Ropes: Experimental and Numerical Approach

The incorporation of Basalt Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (BFRP) materials marks a significant advancement in the adoption of sustainable and high-performance technologies in structural engineering. This study investigates the flexural behavior of four-meter, two-span continuous reinforced concrete (RC) beams of low and medium compressive strengths (20 MPa and 32 MPa) strengthened or rehabilitated using near-surface mounted (NSM) BFRP ropes. Six RC beam specimens were tested, of which two were strengthened before loading and two were rehabilitated after being preloaded to 70% of their ultimate capacity. The experimental program was complemented by Finite Element Modeling (FEM) and analytical evaluations per ACI 440.2R-08 guidelines. The results demonstrated that NSM-BFRP rope application led to a flexural strength increase ranging from 18% to 44% ductility by approximately 9–11% in strengthened beams and 13–20% in rehabilitated beams, relative to the control specimens. Load-deflection responses showed close alignment between experimental and FEM results, with prediction errors ranging from 0.125% to 7.3%. This study uniquely contributes to the literature by evaluating both strengthening and post-damage rehabilitation of continuous RC beams using NSM-BFRP ropes, a novel and eco-efficient retrofitting technique with proven performance in enhancing structural capacity and serviceability.