The paper describes experimental research of slab-column connections examined on specimendesigned as a part of reinforced concrete structure with flat slabs. The aim of the research wasto verify the efficiency of slab reinforcement concept against punching shear by increasing slab’smechanical reinforcement ratio by applying additional external reinforcement in the form of carbonfiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) strips.

The capacity enhancement in comparison to unstrengthened slab obtained 36%.

In recent years, carbon fibres have been extensively used to strengthen concrete structures. In most cases, the lamination process is carried out using epoxy resin as matrix. In some cases, especially when strengthen structural elements made of weak concrete, it is possible to replace the epoxy resin with an inorganic, cement matrix, while at the same time maintaining a sufficient efficiency of strengthen understood as the percentage increase in the compressive strength of concrete samples due to the applied reinforcement in relation to the reference concrete. In these studies, elements of carbon fibres mats that are reinforced with a cement matrix were used as the starting product for fibre recovery. The laminate, which was used to reinforce concrete elements, was detached from the concrete surface and subjected to processing in order to obtain clean carbon fibre scraps without cement matrix. Then, the obtained carbon material, in shaped form, was used to strengthen self-compacting, high performance, fibre reinforced concrete (SCHPFRC). For comparative purposes, this concrete was also strengthened by carbon fibre mats (with one and three layers of CFRP). Each samples were tested in uniaxial compression test. The compressive strength of concrete reinforced with 1 and 3 layers of CFRP was higher by 37.9 and 96.3%, respectively, compared to the reference concrete. On the other hand, the compressive strength of concrete reinforced with 1 and 3 layers of carbon fibre scrapswas higher by 11.8 and 40.1%, respectively. Regardless of the reinforcement technique used, the composite elements showed a higher deformability limit in comparison plain concrete. The obtained results showed that it is possible to reuse carbon fibre to strengthen structural elements made of SCHPFRC effectively, using simple processing methods.