“Polyurea coatings as a possible structural reinforcement system” is a research project aimed at exploring possible applications of polyurea coatings for improving structural performance (including steel, concrete, wooden and other structures used in the construction industry). As part of the project, this paper focuses on evaluating the performance of bent reinforced concrete (RC) beams covered with a polyurea coating system. Easy polyurea application and its numerous advantages can prove very useful when existing RC structural elements are repaired or retrofitted. Laboratory tests of three types of RC beams with three different longitudinal reinforcement ratios were performed for the purposes of this paper. The tests were designed to determine the bending strength, performance and cracking patterns of the coated RC beams. In addition, a theoretical model was developed to predict the impact of the polyurea coating on the bending strength of the RC beams. On this basis, the effect of the coating on the bending strength and the performance of the coated beams at the ultimate limit state (ULS) was examined and analyzed. The results showed that the use of the polyurea coating has a positive impact on the cracking state of the RC beams subject to bending and little effect on their bending strength.

In the research of long-time operating road bridge superstructures, it should note that when the internal forces in the beam elements reach specific values, the stiffness of the cross-section of these elements should decrease. Besides that, if there are damaged places in the beam-element of the road bridge superstructures, the element could not work normally, and the redistribution of internal forces between elements in the whole system would happen. This phenomenon was not taken into account in the initial design calculation. In practice, it shows that many road bridges are subjected to greater loads than the calculated loads in the design process, but they still normally operate. This article proposes the other limit state criteria in evaluating the load capacity reserve of road-bridge superstructures using nonlinear analysis based on nonlinear deformational models of modern construction codes. The proposed calculation procedure is established to explain the load capacity reserve of long-time operating road bridge superstructures in the case of the lack of experimental evaluation. From the obtained results, the suitable limit state criteria for road bridge superstructures are suggested, and the conclusions about the accuracy of the proposed approach of nonlinear structural analysis are recommended.