Abstract
The flexural capacity of reinforced concrete structural elements can be increased by epoxy
bonding external reinforcement in the form of unidirectional carbon fiber reinforced polymer
(UD-CFRP) plate/s to the tension surface, thus creating a composite element. Dedonding of the
UD-CFRP plate from the concrete surface is the most common failure mode. This experimental
study investigates if additional mechanical anchorage to the epoxy bonded UD-CFRP plate will
have a combining effect. Single shear pull off tests was conducted for the following three
bonding mechanisms (1) UD-CFRP plate epoxy bonded to a concrete block; (2) UD-CFRP
plate mechanically bonded to a concrete block; (3) UD-CFRP plate epoxy and mechanically
bonded to a concrete block. The experimentally determined pull-off forces is also compared to
the theoretically calculated forces.