Issue 74

M. Bader et alii, Fracture and Structural Integrity, 74 (2025) 115-128; DOI: 10.3221/IGF-ESIS.74.08

An experimental study on the rehabilitation performance of CFRP-strengthened bubble deck slabs: effects of void size and preloading levels

Muntadher Ragheef Bader, Abdulkhalik J. Abdulridha Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, Al-Nahrain University, Jadriya, Baghdad, Iraq montader.mciv22@ced.nahrainuniv.edu.iq abdulkhalik.j.abdulridha@nahrainuniv.edu.iq

Citation: Bader, M. R., Abdulridha, A. J., An experimental study on the rehabilitation performance of CFRP-strengthened bubble deck slabs: effects of void size and preloading levels, Fracture and Structural Integrity, 74 (2025) 115-128.

Received: 28.07.2025 Accepted: 16.08.2025 Published: 16.08.2025 Issue: 10.2025

Copyright: © 2025 This is an open access article under the terms of the CC-BY 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

K EYWORDS . Rehabilitation, Damaged, Two-way slab, CFRP sheets, Bubbled slab

I NTRODUCTION

einforced concrete (RC) slabs are the fundamental structural component of infrastructure, bridges, and structures. To eliminate the dead weight of the concrete construction while maintaining its structural integrity, the bubble deck slab has undertaken its role as an environmentally friendly and lightweight structure. The concrete volume is significantly reduced in these slabs due to using porous plastic spheres in the slab core. Consequently, there is a reduction in self-weight and material. Despite the environmental and economic advantages of bubble deck slabs, the strength of striking shear and the rehabilitation of such slabs after they are damaged are the primary challenges they present. The problem is particularly severe in two-way slabs, where the load can transmit more intricately and local degradation induces early collapse. Therefore, it is imperative to identify the methods of strengthening that can be employed to enhance or restore the load-bearing capacity of bubble deck slabs that have been damaged. The high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, and ease of installation of Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) systems, particularly the Carbon Fiber Reinforced R

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