TY  - EJOU
AU  - Wang, Liyuan 
AU  - Qiao, Heng 
AU  - Huang, Zhenbin 
AU  - Shrestha, Krishna 
AU  - Yan, Xueyuan 

TI  - Flexural Behavior of Hollow Slab Beams Strengthened by a Novel Top-Anchored External Prestressing System: An Experimental Benchmark Study
T2  - Structural Durability \& Health Monitoring

PY  - 
VL  - 
IS  - 
SN  - 1930-2991

AB  - This paper introduces a novel external prestressing system specifically designed for strengthening hollow slab beams. To validate the system’s feasibility and isolate flexural behavior from interface slip effects, experimental investigations were conducted on monolithically cast specimens representing an idealized, fully bonded state. By integrating theoretical analysis, experimental testing, and finite-element numerical simulation, the study examines the mechanical behavior and design principles of the proposed configuration. Results indicate that the stress development process of the externally prestressed beam (N2) exhibits strong similarity to that of a conventional internally prestressed beam (N1). Notably, the implementation of the top-anchored external prestressing tendon in specimen N2 produced a marked improvement, increasing the flexural bearing capacity by approximately 10% compared to the internally prestressed reference beam (N1). Furthermore, the monolithic anchorage zone remained intact with no observed cracks or wire rupture. These findings confirm the structural reliability of the proposed system under ideal bonding conditions, establishing a critical performance benchmark for the practical strengthening and extended service life of existing bridge infrastructure.
KW  - Bending performance; hollow slab beam; external prestressed tendon; numerical simulation; experimental research

DO  - 10.32604/sdhm.2026.080806