الفهرس 
Chapter 1 INTRODUCTIONOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Lately, the externally bonded (EB) method has been challenged by the near-surface-mounted (NSM) technique. This is due to the larger bond stress transfer area in the NSM than in the EB method, which offers a stronger bond between the FRP reinforcing material and the surrounding concrete. Also, the NSM technique is less vulnerable to the surrounding environmental damage sources.
Throughout this study, a comprehensive literature review was conducted to discuss the previous studies’ modeling assumptions, and results.
First, the available experimental results were validated numerically using a robust non-linear finite element modeling (FEM) platform, ANSYS®. The numerical FEM models had to take into account the different material characteristics such as concrete cracking, crushing, and tension stiffening and the reinforcing steel yielding and post-yielding behavior. The models were developed to simulate the flexural behavior of Reinforced Concrete (RC) beams strengthened with NSM FRP bars considering the Cross-sectional area of the FRP reinforcement, the CFRP bar end-anchorage, and strengthening by partially bonded systems with various unbonded lengths. It was found that the modeling approach could simulate the experimentally measured beam behavior at all stages of loading with an acceptable degree of accuracy.
A parametric study was conducted using the calibrated models to assess the flexural response of R.C. beams strengthened with NSM CFRP. The study focused on the effect of groove size (geometry of the groove), spacing between grooves, and anchorage system on the flexural response of the strengthened beams.