Composite timber beams strengthened by steel and CFRP

Composite timber beams strengthened by U-shape steel sections and carbon fiber–reinforced plastic (CFRP) are studied experimentally in this paper. Specimens with various strengthening, i.e., steel only, CFRP only, and a combination of the two, were considered under three-point flexural tests. Failure, displacement and strain response, ductility, bending capacity, and structural efficiency were evaluated for the present tested models. Dramatic enhancement of the capacity in addition to improved deflection and ductility were gained for the strengthened beams relative to the plain specimens, indicating the effectiveness of the reinforcement on the flexural strength of such composite beams.