Abstract
Residential and commercial buildings are typically designed with a lifespan of 50 years, and many multi-storey buildings in South African city centres have either exceeded or are nearing this limit. Re-placing compromised structural elements can be impractical, while demolishing and rebuilding entire structures may be prohibitively expensive and time-consuming. Retrofitting offers an alternative solution to enhance the structural performance of existing concrete structures. This paper investigates using Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) plates as a retrofitting technique to improve the load-carrying capacity and flexural properties of reinforced concrete beams. An experimental approach is employed, with tests conducted in a laboratory. The results demonstrate that CFRP plates significantly enhance the performance of the beams compared to the con-trol beams.